WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.925 I kind of feel like 00:00:00.925 --> 00:00:02.879 my attention span is dying. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:04.301 knocks on the door 00:00:04.301 --> 00:00:05.060 It's just like 00:00:05.060 --> 00:00:06.690 whenever I try and do anything, 00:00:06.690 --> 00:00:09.101 I start craving some sort of distraction. 00:00:09.101 --> 00:00:11.188 I can't just focus on one thing at a time, 00:00:11.188 --> 00:00:13.256 even if that thing is sleeping. 00:00:13.256 --> 00:00:14.659 But I have things I wanna do, 00:00:14.659 --> 00:00:15.945 things I want to focus on. 00:00:15.945 --> 00:00:16.840 I just don't 00:00:16.846 --> 00:00:18.737 because refreshing Instagram 00:00:18.737 --> 00:00:21.561 is always gonna be easier... 00:00:28.027 --> 00:00:29.271 and it's a problem! 00:00:29.271 --> 00:00:30.263 And I'm tired of it. 00:00:30.263 --> 00:00:34.610 I am tired of feeling like my life is so far out of my own control. 00:00:34.750 --> 00:00:36.280 So today, 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:38.648 we are figuring out how to stop scrolling, 00:00:38.648 --> 00:00:40.706 and how to start paying attention. 00:00:40.813 --> 00:00:42.909 Thank you to our Patrons for supporting the channel, 00:00:42.909 --> 00:00:44.257 and headspace for sponsoring 00:00:44.257 --> 00:00:45.531 a portion of this video. 00:00:45.531 --> 00:00:47.879 With focus music, motivational exercises, 00:00:47.879 --> 00:00:49.472 guided meditations, and more, 00:00:49.472 --> 00:00:51.919 Headspace has over a thousand pieces of content 00:00:51.919 --> 00:00:54.028 to help you be kind to your mind. 00:00:54.028 --> 00:00:56.288 If you wanna see how Headspace might be helpful to you, 00:00:56.288 --> 00:00:59.137 you can try it out completely for free for 60 days. 00:00:59.137 --> 00:01:02.043 All you have to do is sign up with our link in the description 00:01:02.043 --> 00:01:03.636 or scan the QR code on screen. 00:01:03.636 --> 00:01:04.236 [slam] 00:01:04.236 --> 00:01:05.254 So, what's in the box? 00:01:05.254 --> 00:01:07.251 [box opening] 00:01:07.251 --> 00:01:10.249 This is an electroencephalogram, or an EEG. 00:01:10.249 --> 00:01:12.293 It measures electrical activity in the brain 00:01:12.293 --> 00:01:14.741 which are associated with certain performance metrics 00:01:14.741 --> 00:01:17.120 like attention, excitement and stress. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.076 Does that look good? How's that - How do I look? 00:01:19.076 --> 00:01:22.546 Now these things usually look a little bit more threatening and wire-y, 00:01:22.546 --> 00:01:24.942 however, I reached out to this brand called Emotiv 00:01:24.942 --> 00:01:27.472 that creates more simplified consumer options. 00:01:27.472 --> 00:01:28.764 They gave me a little discount 00:01:28.764 --> 00:01:30.395 so I could actually afford this for the video. 00:01:30.395 --> 00:01:32.550 And I look like a cyborg. 00:01:32.550 --> 00:01:33.620 I think it looks cute. 00:01:33.620 --> 00:01:35.136 Okay, so these are my brainwaves, 00:01:35.136 --> 00:01:37.954 and if I focus on it...really hard... 00:01:37.954 --> 00:01:40.444 it should be able to translate these 00:01:40.444 --> 00:01:44.109 into more understandable metrics, like... attention! 00:01:44.109 --> 00:01:44.951 Look at that! 00:01:44.951 --> 00:01:47.577 You see the building attention and spike in excitement; 00:01:47.577 --> 00:01:48.450 that's my brain! 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:51.304 I kinda feel like a videogame character and these are my stats. 00:01:51.304 --> 00:01:52.004 This is cool. 00:01:52.004 --> 00:01:54.231 Now I should note that EEG data can be pretty noisy 00:01:54.506 --> 00:01:57.610 and things like movement can really impact the results. 00:01:57.610 --> 00:02:00.889 However, I think that having any level of recording is an improvement 00:02:00.889 --> 00:02:04.793 because I basically never pay attention to my attention. 00:02:04.793 --> 00:02:08.572 It only every really comes up when I'm feeling guilty about my screentime, 00:02:08.572 --> 00:02:11.323 or I realise that I've done nothing all day. 00:02:11.323 --> 00:02:16.063 And only having these really infrequent and negative interactions with my problem 00:02:16.063 --> 00:02:18.834 makes it really hard to be objective about the whole thing, 00:02:18.834 --> 00:02:21.069 to understand how bad it actually is 00:02:21.069 --> 00:02:23.774 and see if it's getting better or worse. 00:02:23.774 --> 00:02:26.362 But now, with the help of this brainscanner, 00:02:26.362 --> 00:02:29.242 I finally got to measure a baseline for my attention span 00:02:29.242 --> 00:02:31.010 without getting bogged down by guilt, 00:02:31.010 --> 00:02:33.683 or forgetting to focus on my focus. 00:02:33.683 --> 00:02:34.283 [typing] 00:02:34.283 --> 00:02:38.407 I wore the EEG while I worked, ate, exercised and relaxed. 00:02:38.407 --> 00:02:41.844 I did take it off a few times because it could get pretty uncomfortable 00:02:41.844 --> 00:02:43.380 after really long stretches. 00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:43.959 Woah! 00:02:43.959 --> 00:02:46.032 But, overall, it was pretty easy to ignore 00:02:46.032 --> 00:02:47.948 while I just lived my life for the rest of the week. 00:02:47.948 --> 00:02:51.233 Alongside the EEG, I installed a program to automatically track 00:02:51.233 --> 00:02:53.496 how often I switched tasks on my computer, 00:02:53.496 --> 00:02:56.352 and I recorded how many times I picked up my phone. 00:02:56.352 --> 00:02:59.357 Did you know that you can't actually export your screentime data? 00:02:59.357 --> 00:03:02.652 Then I wrote a quick script to compile all this data and visualize it. 00:03:02.652 --> 00:03:05.165 Here is my life for the past three days. 00:03:05.453 --> 00:03:06.226 Ooh. 00:03:06.268 --> 00:03:09.534 The x-axis is the number of hours in a day. 00:03:09.534 --> 00:03:12.711 These blue bars represent the number of times I picked up my phone. 00:03:12.711 --> 00:03:15.386 This grey line tracks how productive I was at my computer, 00:03:15.386 --> 00:03:18.699 and these coloured lines are the median performance metrics from my EEG. 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:22.123 Now, some highlights include... this moment, NOTE Paragraph 00:03:22.123 --> 00:03:25.493 where I picked up my phone to start debugging the app 00:03:25.493 --> 00:03:27.532 that I was using to scan my brain, 00:03:27.532 --> 00:03:33.675 and then I ended up [uh] opening Instagram and spending the next two hours on it. 00:03:33.675 --> 00:03:34.417 [laughs] 00:03:34.417 --> 00:03:36.236 However, during my meetings the next day 00:03:36.236 --> 00:03:40.222 I was like super interested and attentive, right? Great? No. 00:03:40.222 --> 00:03:43.183 It's because I kept picking up my phone! 00:03:43.183 --> 00:03:44.649 I was supposed to be on a call! 00:03:44.649 --> 00:03:46.348 I kept opening up Instagram! [laughs] 00:03:46.348 --> 00:03:47.446 But it's not all bad news: 00:03:47.446 --> 00:03:50.582 there are these instances where I put down my phone, 00:03:50.582 --> 00:03:54.389 I get into the zone, and my brain just lights up. 00:03:54.389 --> 00:03:58.846 The only issue is that in my 8-hour work day, it only happens for, like, an hour. 00:03:58.846 --> 00:04:03.753 It's over here at like 2 o'clock, or 5 o'clock, or 10 o'clock! 00:04:03.753 --> 00:04:06.723 Now something similar does happen to my brain when I am working out, 00:04:06.723 --> 00:04:09.412 but... how often am I doing that? 00:04:09.412 --> 00:04:13.474 All this is to say, is that for the 16-ish hours that I am awake, 00:04:13.474 --> 00:04:17.623 I'm only engaged and focused for like 12% of it. 00:04:17.623 --> 00:04:20.629 The rest of the time - the 88% of the time - 00:04:20.629 --> 00:04:24.357 I'm all over the place. I'm checked out or I'm distracted. 00:04:24.357 --> 00:04:28.235 This could be most of the rest of my life, unless we do something about it. 00:04:28.235 --> 00:04:29.310 So let's do that. 00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:34.193 So, I started looking for any books about attention, focus, and distractions, 00:04:34.193 --> 00:04:36.170 and I found a lot of them. 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:39.036 There was just one problem - they're all identical! 00:04:39.036 --> 00:04:40.630 They invent different buzz words, 00:04:40.630 --> 00:04:42.472 and they switch up the personal anecdotes 00:04:42.472 --> 00:04:44.224 that they blur with legitimate science, 00:04:44.224 --> 00:04:47.910 but fundamentally, if you've read one, you've read them all. 00:04:47.910 --> 00:04:50.417 Fortunately, you don't need to read any of them, 00:04:50.417 --> 00:04:53.805 because here are the three things that you actually need to know 00:04:53.805 --> 00:04:55.772 if you want to fix your focus. 00:04:55.772 --> 00:04:58.368 1: Attention and focus are different things. 00:04:58.368 --> 00:05:02.367 Attention is a broad concept that boils down to our general awareness, 00:05:02.367 --> 00:05:06.271 while focus is one process that controls that awareness, 00:05:06.271 --> 00:05:08.961 concentrating it on something specific. 00:05:08.961 --> 00:05:12.816 2: Focus is a limited and exhaustible resource. 00:05:12.816 --> 00:05:16.046 So, you can only really focus on one thing at a time, 00:05:16.046 --> 00:05:20.272 and your ability to do that will tire out the further you get from rest. 00:05:20.272 --> 00:05:23.334 3: Focus also filters out distractions. 00:05:23.334 --> 00:05:27.182 The more there are, the more of your focus is being wasted. 00:05:27.182 --> 00:05:30.814 Now some research exists suggesting that certain forms of cognitive training 00:05:30.814 --> 00:05:33.785 can increase your capacity and ability to focus. 00:05:33.785 --> 00:05:37.043 But the type of training and the effectiveness has varying results. 00:05:37.043 --> 00:05:40.209 The brain is complicated and theres a lot of nuance in the details, 00:05:40.209 --> 00:05:42.868 especially when you're trying to find things that work for you 00:05:42.868 --> 00:05:44.506 and your specific circumstances. 00:05:44.506 --> 00:05:47.233 So to fix my focus, I'm actually only going to do a handful of 00:05:47.233 --> 00:05:50.220 very simple things that support what we know about focus. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:51.035 Here's the plan. 00:05:51.035 --> 00:05:55.168 First, I need to manage my distractions, starting with the obvious: my phone. 00:05:55.168 --> 00:05:56.932 I deleted the apps that I never use, 00:05:56.932 --> 00:05:59.374 set up time limits for the apps I use way too much, 00:05:59.374 --> 00:06:01.349 (everything except for my wallet) 00:06:01.349 --> 00:06:04.155 and muted basically all of my notifications. 00:06:04.155 --> 00:06:07.371 I also installed this app that replaces icons with text. 00:06:07.371 --> 00:06:10.509 So now I need to put in a little more effort before I open anything. 00:06:10.509 --> 00:06:12.462 I also changed my display to grey scale. 00:06:12.462 --> 00:06:15.206 [laughs] I have never wanted to use my phone less. 00:06:15.206 --> 00:06:16.558 God, this sucks. 00:06:16.558 --> 00:06:17.630 I wasn't kidding. 00:06:17.630 --> 00:06:21.647 Almost immediately, my phone pick-ups and screen time dropped dramatically. 00:06:21.647 --> 00:06:24.769 However, the silence made me notice the sheer number of 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:27.191 internal distractions I have, too. 00:06:27.191 --> 00:06:29.636 These passing thoughts that just take me off task, 00:06:29.636 --> 00:06:31.990 like wondering if I need to buy more toilet paper, 00:06:31.990 --> 00:06:34.436 wishing I learned a musical instrument as a kid, 00:06:34.436 --> 00:06:36.737 or thinking about what I'm gonna have for dinner. 00:06:36.737 --> 00:06:37.928 They were rarely urgent, 00:06:37.928 --> 00:06:42.207 but often important enough that I didn't want to ignore or forget them. 00:06:42.207 --> 00:06:45.936 So, I dedicated a page in my notebook to quickly write them down for later. 00:06:45.936 --> 00:06:47.020 When later came, 00:06:47.020 --> 00:06:51.460 I sorted through those thoughts based on action, importance and time-sensitivity, 00:06:51.460 --> 00:06:56.720 and kept it in mind when I was building my schedule, which got way more specific. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:00.202 Now, I'm usually the type of person who only puts, like, events in my calendar, 00:07:00.202 --> 00:07:01.527 - a normal person, 00:07:01.527 --> 00:07:03.807 however, a lot of the books that I've been reading 00:07:03.807 --> 00:07:05.274 have recommended time-blocking. 00:07:05.274 --> 00:07:06.849 Or time-boxing? I don't know. 00:07:06.849 --> 00:07:09.665 It's just setting aside time to do individual tasks. 00:07:09.665 --> 00:07:12.484 Apparently, it helps you avoid the temptation to multitask. 00:07:12.491 --> 00:07:13.693 [alarm beeps] 00:07:13.693 --> 00:07:17.756 So, every morning I took all of my work, chores, exercises and hobbies 00:07:17.756 --> 00:07:19.703 and plugged them into my calendar. 00:07:20.704 --> 00:07:22.456 Now, I found that the secret is that 00:07:22.456 --> 00:07:26.195 it's not as simple as just putting an hour aside for each thing. 00:07:26.195 --> 00:07:28.011 Since focus is an exhaustible resource, 00:07:28.011 --> 00:07:30.676 I need to take into account my energy levels throughout the day, 00:07:30.676 --> 00:07:32.944 and how much effort each task is gonna take. 00:07:32.944 --> 00:07:37.007 Like, reading research papers and writing takes a lot of focus for me. 00:07:37.007 --> 00:07:38.639 It's just really boring. 00:07:38.876 --> 00:07:40.908 [vacuum cleaner buzzes, while audiobook plays] 00:07:40.908 --> 00:07:44.077 but listening to audiobooks or animating... I'm locked in! 00:07:44.077 --> 00:07:47.847 I actually find it really hard to disengage from the tasks that I really enjoy. 00:07:47.847 --> 00:07:50.343 So, I find myself thinking about them, 00:07:50.343 --> 00:07:53.594 or even continuing to do them past their allotted time. 00:07:53.594 --> 00:07:56.397 Which means that I should probably think about those switching costs 00:07:56.397 --> 00:07:58.554 when I'm building my schedule out for the day. 00:07:58.554 --> 00:08:01.899 Eventually, I realised this process could be a little more automated, 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:05.072 so I got Taha to put the process together in a notion template. 00:08:05.192 --> 00:08:07.924 Now I can input tasks, tag them, 00:08:07.924 --> 00:08:10.664 and it'll show me an order that I can drag into my calendar. 00:08:10.664 --> 00:08:12.946 I found it useful, and if you want to give it a try, 00:08:12.946 --> 00:08:14.798 I'll include it in our next newsletter. 00:08:14.798 --> 00:08:17.981 But, once I controlled my external and internal distractions, 00:08:17.981 --> 00:08:20.476 and built out a schedule that minimised multitasking 00:08:20.476 --> 00:08:22.365 and optimised for my energy levels, 00:08:22.365 --> 00:08:24.893 all that was left was... actually focusing. 00:08:24.893 --> 00:08:26.586 [suspenseful sound effect] 00:08:26.586 --> 00:08:28.428 It was amazing. 00:08:28.516 --> 00:08:31.385 I was using my phone less and getting more done. 00:08:32.518 --> 00:08:34.277 My brain was lighting up. 00:08:34.277 --> 00:08:37.829 I was way more engaged in everything I did. 00:08:37.829 --> 00:08:41.287 I found different soundtracks to make it easier to get in the zone, 00:08:41.287 --> 00:08:43.188 and life was great... 00:08:43.587 --> 00:08:44.696 until it wasn't. 00:08:45.154 --> 00:08:47.488 [uuhhhhh] 00:08:47.689 --> 00:08:50.281 It is... 12. 00:08:50.281 --> 00:08:51.839 I haven't left bed yet. 00:08:51.839 --> 00:08:54.239 I've just been using my phone, full color. 00:08:54.239 --> 00:08:59.473 Every 15 minutes I hit "remind me in 15 minutes." 00:08:59.473 --> 00:09:00.874 [uhh] 00:09:00.874 --> 00:09:03.366 And then 15 minutes later I do it again. 00:09:03.501 --> 00:09:05.941 Just feels like we're back where we started. 00:09:05.941 --> 00:09:08.716 I ended up using my phone for 7 hours that day - 00:09:08.716 --> 00:09:11.041 more than I had all week prior. 00:09:11.183 --> 00:09:12.600 I had things I could do. 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:14.217 Things I should do. 00:09:14.410 --> 00:09:17.609 But I just couldn't bring myself to get up. 00:09:19.195 --> 00:09:22.662 I am kind of proud that I managed to pull up my code on my phone 00:09:22.662 --> 00:09:24.753 and see if there were any clues in my data 00:09:24.753 --> 00:09:26.651 that could explain what went wrong. 00:09:26.651 --> 00:09:28.211 I know, it's pathetic, 00:09:28.211 --> 00:09:32.236 but it was a small victory that led to an interesting discovery: 00:09:32.236 --> 00:09:34.654 the nights that I used my phone past midnight 00:09:34.654 --> 00:09:38.946 led to days where I felt more distracted and picked up my phone more often. 00:09:38.946 --> 00:09:41.938 I learned in an old video how important sleep could really be, 00:09:41.938 --> 00:09:44.823 so I decided to just give up on the day, 00:09:44.823 --> 00:09:47.324 get some sleep, and try again tomorrow. 00:09:49.448 --> 00:09:55.974 [sigh] 00:09:55.974 --> 00:09:57.491 [aaaAAAHHH] 00:09:57.742 --> 00:09:59.774 I feel like I'm drowning. 00:09:59.774 --> 00:10:02.024 It's like I'm not doing anything hard, right? 00:10:02.024 --> 00:10:03.558 I'm just doing my stuff. 00:10:03.558 --> 00:10:05.717 I'm just trying to focus on it more. 00:10:05.717 --> 00:10:09.242 Except, I'm trying so hard to focus 00:10:09.242 --> 00:10:13.577 that everything is making me on edge. 00:10:13.577 --> 00:10:16.343 Like, my cat will try and get my attention 00:10:16.343 --> 00:10:20.027 and I'll be annoyed at him for wanting pats. 00:10:20.027 --> 00:10:22.403 It's like there's sand falling 00:10:22.403 --> 00:10:25.697 and I'm trying to catch all of the sand. 00:10:25.697 --> 00:10:26.945 And you can't do it! 00:10:26.945 --> 00:10:29.145 Am I making any sense? 00:10:29.308 --> 00:10:32.621 I really need to make every grain of sand count 00:10:32.621 --> 00:10:35.571 by like doing everything on target 00:10:35.571 --> 00:10:38.130 and even if I'm enjoying something, 00:10:38.130 --> 00:10:42.156 I can't because I need to move and catch different grains of sand. 00:10:42.773 --> 00:10:44.889 Hold on, hold on, hold on. 00:10:44.889 --> 00:10:46.092 What did you just say? 00:10:46.092 --> 00:10:48.100 "Have you ever thought about just 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:52.526 meditating and doing... nothing? 00:10:52.526 --> 00:10:55.072 Taking a step back away from the thing that you're working on 00:10:55.222 --> 00:10:57.355 and not working? 00:10:57.355 --> 00:10:58.743 Like taking a break?" 00:11:02.563 --> 00:11:04.372 Maybe it was because I was desperate. 00:11:04.372 --> 00:11:06.981 Actually, it is totally because I was desperate 00:11:06.981 --> 00:11:09.209 but I decided to try meditation. 00:11:09.209 --> 00:11:10.717 The only issue is... 00:11:10.983 --> 00:11:12.583 I have no idea how. 00:11:12.684 --> 00:11:14.755 Luckily, I have headspace. 00:11:14.755 --> 00:11:16.289 I should probably turn the colour on 00:11:16.289 --> 00:11:18.715 just so you guys can see what the app actually looks like. 00:11:18.715 --> 00:11:20.631 When I asked headspace to sponsor a portion of this video, 00:11:20.631 --> 00:11:24.247 I genuinely thought I was only going to use their focus music and white noise, 00:11:24.247 --> 00:11:26.229 because I love listening to those to the point that 00:11:26.229 --> 00:11:29.095 it is ruining my YouTube recommendations and Spotify Wrapped. 00:11:29.095 --> 00:11:31.480 So it is just great to have access to headspace's collection. 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:36.282 But headspace also has stretches, workouts, podcasts and meditation. 00:11:36.282 --> 00:11:38.732 They have content specifically for beginners, like me, 00:11:38.732 --> 00:11:40.132 who don't know where to start. 00:11:40.132 --> 00:11:41.248 It's in their basics course. 00:11:41.248 --> 00:11:42.749 But if you don't want to commit to that, 00:11:42.749 --> 00:11:43.866 they also have shorter exercises 00:11:43.866 --> 00:11:47.134 including my favourite thing I discovered on this app, 00:11:47.134 --> 00:11:51.101 which is "Star Wars: Breathe with Yoda." 00:11:51.101 --> 00:11:52.470 It's a 1-minute breathing exercise 00:11:52.470 --> 00:11:56.042 and Yoda's just sitting there levitating rocks. I love it. 00:11:56.042 --> 00:11:58.121 However, they also have longer, less structured stuff 00:11:58.121 --> 00:11:59.735 for people with more experience. 00:11:59.735 --> 00:12:03.837 Just the sheer amount of variety is probably my favorite thing about headspace. 00:12:03.837 --> 00:12:07.777 They bring together so many resources to help you be kind to your mind; so, 00:12:07.777 --> 00:12:11.602 even if meditation doesn't end up helping, maybe movement will. 00:12:11.602 --> 00:12:15.743 Or, another cool thing that I found - this is so sick - they have ASMR 00:12:15.743 --> 00:12:19.196 and there's like a thing at the bottom that lets you control the balance between 00:12:19.196 --> 00:12:21.946 voice and, like, environmental noise. 00:12:21.946 --> 00:12:23.593 Headspace, do more of this! 00:12:23.593 --> 00:12:25.045 If you want to try out headspace, 00:12:25.045 --> 00:12:26.844 completely for free for 60 days, 00:12:26.844 --> 00:12:30.612 you can sign up using the link in the description, or scan the QR code. 00:12:30.612 --> 00:12:33.097 Okay, lets learn how to meditate. 00:12:33.097 --> 00:12:34.780 "Hi, and welcome to-" "-Hi" 00:12:34.780 --> 00:12:38.197 My first experience with meditation was... 00:12:38.197 --> 00:12:41.265 strange? Now, the voice kept telling me to 00:12:41.265 --> 00:12:42.797 focus on my breathing, 00:12:42.797 --> 00:12:44.731 but I might have focused a little too hard 00:12:44.731 --> 00:12:48.280 because I was worried I forgot how to breathe. 00:12:48.280 --> 00:12:50.399 I should wear my head scanner thing for this! 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:51.882 Back to breathing. [exhales] 00:12:51.882 --> 00:12:53.706 But eventually, I think I got the hang of it 00:12:53.706 --> 00:12:56.883 and after 10 minutes 00:12:56.883 --> 00:13:00.334 -How am I supposed to know if meditation is working? 00:13:00.334 --> 00:13:02.517 Is there a light? Like what happens? 00:13:02.517 --> 00:13:04.170 "I don't think there is an exact science to it. 00:13:04.170 --> 00:13:06.817 It's just - you're supposed to just feel better. 00:13:06.817 --> 00:13:09.118 Or feel changed. 00:13:09.118 --> 00:13:12.137 Did it do anything?" 00:13:12.137 --> 00:13:14.491 I don't know! 00:13:14.491 --> 00:13:16.468 Do you just keep doing it? 00:13:16.468 --> 00:13:18.386 "That's kind of it. 00:13:18.386 --> 00:13:21.136 I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but-" 00:13:21.136 --> 00:13:23.470 So I just trust the process? 00:13:23.470 --> 00:13:24.487 So, for the next few days, 00:13:24.487 --> 00:13:27.238 I continued with my focus schedule and wore my EEG. 00:13:27.238 --> 00:13:30.225 But I also tried to meditate in the morning, or evening, 00:13:30.225 --> 00:13:32.691 or just random moments when I felt like it. 00:13:35.997 --> 00:13:38.820 And then, something kind of wild happened. 00:13:39.386 --> 00:13:41.487 Meditation works! 00:13:41.487 --> 00:13:42.952 And I wish I could tell you this because 00:13:42.952 --> 00:13:46.051 I have achieved enlightenment or I have a new found sense of peace, 00:13:46.051 --> 00:13:51.269 but, no. I just feel normal . 00:13:51.269 --> 00:13:53.419 About as normal as the distribution of 00:13:53.419 --> 00:13:56.038 the sample means of my experimental populations, justifying the use of 00:13:56.038 --> 00:13:59.103 a two-sampled t-test resulting in these p-values. 00:13:59.103 --> 00:14:01.424 Ooh! How significant. 00:14:01.424 --> 00:14:03.256 This EEG has seriously paid off 00:14:03.256 --> 00:14:05.639 because even though I don't feel that different, 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.189 I was able to use its measurements to do some statistics 00:14:08.189 --> 00:14:12.374 and find that meditation has improved basically all of my performance metrics: 00:14:12.374 --> 00:14:16.341 engagement, excitement, interest. 00:14:16.341 --> 00:14:17.941 Also, stress, but that might be because 00:14:17.941 --> 00:14:19.176 I was wearing this when you guys 00:14:19.176 --> 00:14:22.460 sold out our last merch drop in less than 24 hours. Thank you for that. 00:14:22.460 --> 00:14:24.159 So good stress. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:27.314 The coolest thing is that all of this is on top of what I already gained 00:14:27.314 --> 00:14:30.221 by minimising distractions and avoiding multitasking. 00:14:30.221 --> 00:14:31.654 At least according to these regressions 00:14:31.654 --> 00:14:32.331 I ran. 00:14:32.331 --> 00:14:34.792 But the benefits of meditation came at a surprising cost. 00:14:34.792 --> 00:14:36.525 You see these peaks of intense focus? 00:14:36.525 --> 00:14:38.310 Yeah, those stopped happening. 00:14:38.310 --> 00:14:41.928 But I also stopped experiencing these huge dips. Now I'm just fine. 00:14:41.928 --> 00:14:45.876 This whole thing is just... fine. 00:14:45.876 --> 00:14:49.601 You know, I started this video because I wanted to feel more in control of my attention. 00:14:49.601 --> 00:14:55.246 I didn't want to rely on being distracted every single second. And you know what? 00:14:55.246 --> 00:14:55.795 Done. 00:14:55.795 --> 00:14:58.462 I am literally, statistically more engaged 00:14:58.462 --> 00:15:01.563 and anecdotally, I was doing the dishes the other day and 00:15:01.563 --> 00:15:04.914 I started playing a podcast out of habit, then I realised: 00:15:04.914 --> 00:15:07.564 I'd rather just clean in silence. 00:15:07.564 --> 00:15:08.881 Who am I? 00:15:08.881 --> 00:15:10.182 I know I should be happy. 00:15:10.182 --> 00:15:12.815 Happy that for folks without attention disorders, 00:15:12.815 --> 00:15:14.834 fixing your focus is as simple as 00:15:14.834 --> 00:15:18.067 minimising distractions, avoiding multitasking, 00:15:18.067 --> 00:15:20.397 and maybe meditating if it all gets too much. 00:15:20.397 --> 00:15:21.781 I should be happy. 00:15:21.781 --> 00:15:22.824 But I'm not. 00:15:22.824 --> 00:15:25.642 Like I think it's really cool that meditation can work 00:15:25.642 --> 00:15:27.791 even if you don't know how it works, 00:15:27.791 --> 00:15:30.180 but I'm me... 00:15:30.180 --> 00:15:31.769 and I need to know how. 00:15:31.769 --> 00:15:34.044 So I guess if you only cared about fixing your focus, 00:15:34.044 --> 00:15:35.026 the video is done. 00:15:35.026 --> 00:15:35.893 You heard my advice. 00:15:35.893 --> 00:15:37.100 But, if you're like me 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:38.526 and you want to know why, 00:15:38.526 --> 00:15:41.079 come with me 'cause we're gonna find out. 00:15:41.079 --> 00:15:43.496 It was strange getting to the bottom of this. 00:15:43.496 --> 00:15:47.145 because I was looking for an answer when I didn't really have a question. 00:15:47.145 --> 00:15:51.112 I just had a sense of unease because I had solved my original problem 00:15:51.112 --> 00:15:56.380 without understanding how or why my solution really worked. 00:15:56.380 --> 00:15:59.235 It was only after spending the day in the library, 00:15:59.235 --> 00:16:02.164 flipping through any book I could find about meditation, 00:16:02.164 --> 00:16:04.982 when I realised my question and its answer. 00:16:04.982 --> 00:16:08.898 You see, earlier we learned how focus works according to science, 00:16:08.898 --> 00:16:12.532 and the tips I found in those productivity books were in line with that. 00:16:12.532 --> 00:16:14.497 They should have helped me stay focused. 00:16:14.497 --> 00:16:15.816 But they didn't. 00:16:15.816 --> 00:16:17.117 Not in the long run. 00:16:17.117 --> 00:16:20.921 However, when I added meditation to the mix, it all worked. 00:16:20.921 --> 00:16:22.568 The question is how. 00:16:22.568 --> 00:16:26.052 Specifically, how did meditation influence my focus 00:16:26.052 --> 00:16:28.218 differently than productivity tips. 00:16:28.218 --> 00:16:31.151 Okay. So, meditation as we know it 00:16:31.151 --> 00:16:33.636 originated in India with 00:16:33.957 --> 00:16:35.336 Theravada Buddhism. 00:16:35.620 --> 00:16:37.869 However, it's since evolved into a wide range of practices 00:16:37.869 --> 00:16:39.203 used throughout the world, 00:16:39.203 --> 00:16:42.258 including more securlarised and intrumentalised forms 00:16:42.258 --> 00:16:46.455 that became popular in the west with books like Wherever You Go There You Are. 00:16:46.455 --> 00:16:50.205 This approach to meditation became known as mindfulness based interventions 00:16:50.205 --> 00:16:52.339 and has two main forms: 00:16:52.339 --> 00:16:56.793 open monitoring, where you observe your experiences in real time without reacting 00:16:56.793 --> 00:16:59.224 you just recognise things as they are; 00:16:59.224 --> 00:17:03.374 and focused attention, where you concentrate on something specific like breathing. 00:17:03.374 --> 00:17:06.393 Now the interesting thing is that 00:17:06.393 --> 00:17:07.275 this religiously informed framework, 00:17:07.275 --> 00:17:08.941 with origins from thousands of years ago, 00:17:08.941 --> 00:17:11.174 has a lot of surprising parallels 00:17:11.174 --> 00:17:14.741 with our modern scientific understanding of attention. 00:17:14.741 --> 00:17:16.476 In fact, some Buddhist practitioners have 00:17:16.476 --> 00:17:19.928 been found to out-perform the norm at attention-related tasks, 00:17:19.928 --> 00:17:21.712 suggesting that meditation is, 00:17:21.712 --> 00:17:24.577 at least in part, helping them focus. 00:17:24.577 --> 00:17:26.495 Now, I should probably say that 00:17:26.495 --> 00:17:28.679 a lot of this research, while promising, 00:17:28.679 --> 00:17:30.145 is still inconclusive. 00:17:30.145 --> 00:17:34.113 Meditation, and even attention, are still kind of nebulous concepts 00:17:34.113 --> 00:17:37.846 that make it difficult to achieve rigourous, scientific consensus. 00:17:37.846 --> 00:17:41.697 However, despite the similarities I found between religious theory 00:17:41.697 --> 00:17:44.314 and these pop science attention books, 00:17:44.314 --> 00:17:46.882 I did notice, one key difference: 00:17:46.882 --> 00:17:49.281 how they manage distractions. 00:17:49.281 --> 00:17:51.767 You see, the pop science and productivity books I read 00:17:51.767 --> 00:17:53.398 emphasized cutting out distractions 00:17:53.398 --> 00:17:57.965 and building walls in your space and schedule to protect your focus. 00:17:57.965 --> 00:17:59.467 This is straight forward in concept 00:17:59.467 --> 00:18:01.198 but really difficult to maintain 00:18:01.198 --> 00:18:04.686 if have a lot of responsibilities that are outside your control. 00:18:04.686 --> 00:18:08.335 In contrast, the mindfulness approach targets your focus directly, 00:18:08.335 --> 00:18:12.251 cultivating it to be easier to command and resilient to distractions. 00:18:12.251 --> 00:18:14.068 This forms a sort of spectrum 00:18:14.068 --> 00:18:18.619 where you either reshape your environment to restore your attention, or 00:18:18.619 --> 00:18:21.786 reinforce your attention to endure the world. 00:18:21.786 --> 00:18:22.835 Now here's the thing, 00:18:22.835 --> 00:18:25.053 when you feel your attention span 00:18:25.053 --> 00:18:27.003 slipping through your fingers, 00:18:27.003 --> 00:18:31.320 that pop science, productivity approach is really tempting. 00:18:31.320 --> 00:18:32.855 But only because it's unavoidable, 00:18:32.855 --> 00:18:35.204 like, a lot of the content around reclaiming your focus 00:18:35.204 --> 00:18:37.872 is for the sake of using it on something else. 00:18:37.872 --> 00:18:41.239 But it is also tempting because the advice is so tangible. 00:18:41.239 --> 00:18:42.906 You turn off your notifications, 00:18:42.906 --> 00:18:44.156 you build out a schedule, 00:18:44.156 --> 00:18:45.939 you get rid of the distractions 00:18:45.939 --> 00:18:48.957 and see it replaced with things you do care about. 00:18:48.957 --> 00:18:50.306 Compare that to meditation 00:18:50.306 --> 00:18:51.462 which is so subtle that, 00:18:51.462 --> 00:18:54.110 if I wasn't wearing an EEG for three weeks, 00:18:54.110 --> 00:18:56.446 I would have just assumed that it did nothing. 00:18:56.446 --> 00:18:58.811 However, the average person like you or I, 00:18:58.811 --> 00:19:01.109 can never fully control our environments. 00:19:01.109 --> 00:19:04.413 And the supports we use to try are shockingly fragile. 00:19:04.413 --> 00:19:05.693 So if they break, 00:19:05.693 --> 00:19:07.025 when they break, 00:19:07.025 --> 00:19:11.260 all we're left with is our core ability to focus. 00:19:11.260 --> 00:19:12.172 And if that sucks, 00:19:12.172 --> 00:19:14.214 we end up where we started. 00:19:14.214 --> 00:19:16.199 That's why I think meditation helped me out. 00:19:16.199 --> 00:19:20.013 The whole exercise is realising that your mind naturally wanders, 00:19:20.013 --> 00:19:21.913 but you also have the power 00:19:21.913 --> 00:19:24.381 to nudge it back to where you want it to be. 00:19:24.381 --> 00:19:26.746 Now, I'm obviously not going to go full tilt 00:19:26.746 --> 00:19:29.764 and become a Buddhist Monk because - to be honest - 00:19:29.764 --> 00:19:31.901 I can't pull off orange. 00:19:31.901 --> 00:19:32.882 However, 00:19:32.882 --> 00:19:34.630 the great thing about a spectrum is 00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:37.632 that we can find ourselves somewhere in the middle: 00:19:37.632 --> 00:19:39.346 structuring our days more thoughtfully 00:19:39.346 --> 00:19:40.681 and lowering the noise, 00:19:40.681 --> 00:19:42.199 not to a silence, 00:19:42.199 --> 00:19:43.863 but to a gentle hum 00:19:43.863 --> 00:19:46.683 that we can enjoy at our own pace. 00:19:46.683 --> 00:19:48.150 But either way, 00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:49.817 have a lovely day.