How I stay focused for long periods of time (and stop infinite scrolling)

Summary

This video offers practical strategies for maintaining focus and combating the urge to endlessly scroll. The creator shares five effective techniques, including eliminating distractions, identifying and managing inner discomfort, setting implementation intentions, optimizing energy levels, and establishing a consistent routine. By applying these methods, viewers can enhance productivity and make significant progress on personal goals and hobbies.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses strategies for staying focused and avoiding the habit of infinite scrolling.
• 🧐 The speaker identifies two types of distractions: outer distractions from the environment and inner distractions generated by one's thoughts and feelings.
• 📱 To combat outer distractions, suggestions include turning off phones or using apps to limit screen time.
• 🤔 Inner distractions are addressed by identifying discomfort, journaling triggers and urges, noting sensations, and the '10-minute rule' to delay distractions.
• 📝 Journaling is recommended to track times of distraction and to increase self-awareness of potential triggers.
• 🕒 Deep work sessions of 50 to 90 minutes are suggested for focused work, followed by a 10-minute break to manage the urge to check phones or notifications.
• 🔄 The '10-minute roll' technique is a method to break the habit of immediate gratification when faced with distractions.
• 🤝 The video mentions the use of accountability partners or platforms like Focusmate to ensure focus during work sessions.
• 💡 Setting an implementation intention, such as specifying when and how to exercise, can significantly impact behavior and productivity.
• 🌡 Energy management is highlighted as more important than time management, with the suggestion to align work with natural energy highs and lows.
• 🧘 Consistent mindfulness meditation is recommended to improve focus and reduce distractions, potentially beneficial for those with ADHD.
• 🔄 Creating a routine and having a consistent workspace are emphasized as key to entering a flow state and maintaining focus over long periods.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about staying focused for long periods of time and overcoming the habit of infinite scrolling while working.

What are the two types of distractions mentioned in the video?

The two types of distractions mentioned are outer distractions, which are environmental factors that pull your attention, and inner distractions, which are generated by your thoughts and feelings.

What is the book 'Indistractable' about according to the video?

The book 'Indistractable' is about the science of distractions and how to overcome them to stay focused.

What is the four-step process to block out inner distractions as mentioned in the video?

The four-step process includes: 1) Identifying the discomfort, 2) Journaling the time, trigger, and urge, 3) Writing down sensations or feelings, and 4) Practicing the '10-minute rule' to delay the distraction.

How does the '10-minute rule' work in the context of the video?

The '10-minute rule' involves waiting for 10 minutes before giving in to a distraction, which helps to break the habit of immediate gratification and can often reduce the urge to be distracted.

What is the significance of deep work sessions in the video?

Deep work sessions are blocks of time dedicated to focused work without distractions. They are used to train oneself to be indistractable and can last between 50 to 90 minutes.

What is the recommended length of a deep work session according to Andrew Huberman?

Andrew Huberman recommends a deep work session length of about 90 minutes based on the circadian rhythm or ultradian cycle.

What is the role of an implementation intention in the video?

An implementation intention is a plan that specifies exactly when and how a task will be done. It helps in increasing the likelihood of following through with the task and staying focused.

How does the video suggest managing energy levels to improve focus?

The video suggests optimizing body, mind, emotion, and spirit through improved sleep, diet, exercise, nutrition, and consistent meditation to manage energy levels and improve focus.

What is the importance of having a routine according to the video?

Having a routine helps in putting the brain in the same state for focus work, making it easier to enter a flow state and maintain focus for longer periods.

What is the significance of a consistent workspace in the video?

A consistent workspace provides predictability and helps in maintaining focus by reducing the chances of getting distracted by new or changing environments.

What is the role of Focusmate in the video?

Focusmate is a website mentioned in the video that helps in staying focused by providing virtual work sessions with accountability partners, helping to maintain focus for 15-50 minutes straight.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Overcoming Distractions and Building Focus

The speaker introduces the topic of maintaining focus during work and shares personal struggles with distractions. They discuss the difference between outer and inner distractions, explaining how to identify and manage them using techniques from the book 'Indistractable'. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing discomfort and urges to distract oneself, and suggests a four-step process to combat inner distractions, including journaling the urge, noting sensations, and implementing a '10-minute rule' to delay distractions. This approach helps in breaking the habit of infinite scrolling and enhancing focus.

05:00

🏋️‍♂️ Deep Work Sessions and Implementation Intentions

The speaker delves into the concept of deep work sessions, which are focused periods of work lasting 50 to 90 minutes, as a way to train oneself to be indistractable. They mention Andrew Huberman's recommendation on work duration based on circadian rhythms and share personal preferences for session length and break times. The use of a visual timer is highlighted as a tool for maintaining focus. Additionally, the speaker introduces the idea of setting an implementation intention, citing a study that shows the significant impact of this practice on behavior. The speaker also discusses the benefits of using a platform like Focusmate for accountability during deep work sessions.

10:01

🌞 Energy Management and the Power of Routines

The speaker shifts the focus to energy management over time management, drawing from a Harvard Business Review article. They discuss the importance of aligning work with one's natural energy cycles and the impact of optimizing sleep, diet, exercise, and nutrition on focus and productivity. The benefits of mindfulness meditation for increasing focus and brain function are also highlighted. Finally, the speaker underscores the importance of establishing a consistent routine and workspace for achieving a flow state and maintaining focus, suggesting that the predictability of a routine can significantly enhance work performance.

Keywords

💡Distraction

Distraction refers to anything that diverts one's attention from the primary task at hand. In the video, the creator discusses two types of distractions: outer and inner. Outer distractions are environmental factors that pull one's attention away, such as phone notifications. Inner distractions are self-generated and stem from a lack of stimulation from the current activity, leading one to seek out other activities. The script emphasizes the importance of identifying and managing these distractions to maintain focus and make progress on personal goals.

💡Infinite Scrolling

Infinite scrolling is a feature in digital interfaces where content automatically loads as the user scrolls down, creating a potentially endless browsing experience. The video mentions the habit of infinite scrolling as a common form of distraction, particularly when using smartphones. The creator shares personal strategies for combating this habit, such as using a 'dumb phone' to prevent mindless browsing.

💡Deep Work

Deep work is a concept that involves focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task, which leads to high levels of productivity and skill acquisition. The video script describes deep work sessions as blocks of time dedicated to intense focus, typically ranging from 50 to 90 minutes, followed by a break. The creator suggests that training oneself to be 'indestructible' during these sessions can significantly improve productivity.

💡Flow State

A flow state is a mental state in which a person is completely immersed in an activity, experiencing a heightened level of focus and absorption. The video mentions entering a flow state as an ideal scenario where one can work for multiple hours without breaks, losing track of time and being fully engaged in the task. The creator suggests that practicing deep work sessions can help train oneself to achieve this state more frequently.

💡Implementation Intention

Implementation intention is a psychological concept where one sets a specific plan for when and how they will achieve a goal. The video script highlights a study that demonstrates the effectiveness of setting implementation intentions, showing that those who wrote down their exercise plans were significantly more likely to follow through compared to those who did not. The creator applies this concept to work, suggesting that planning what one will do and when can greatly enhance focus and productivity.

💡Energy Management

Energy management involves understanding and optimizing one's physical, emotional, and mental energy to perform at one's best. The video script discusses the idea that managing energy, rather than just time, can lead to more effective work and productivity. The creator shares personal experiences of shifting work to times of day when energy levels are naturally higher and suggests that optimizing sleep, diet, and exercise can significantly impact one's ability to focus.

💡Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm is the body's internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. The video script mentions the importance of aligning work and rest with one's circadian rhythm to optimize productivity. The creator suggests that understanding one's chronotype, or natural inclination towards morning or evening activity, can help in planning when to do focused work.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. In the video, the creator discusses mindfulness meditation as a tool for increasing focus and reducing distractions. The script mentions that consistent meditation can lead to changes in brain waves and gray matter, potentially benefiting individuals with ADHD and enhancing overall cognitive function.

💡Routine

A routine refers to a sequence of actions regularly followed. The video emphasizes the importance of establishing a routine for work and other activities to train the brain into a state of focus. The creator suggests that having a consistent routine and workspace can significantly improve the ability to enter a flow state and maintain focus over long periods.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the state of being responsible for one's actions and having to report or justify them. The video script mentions the use of an app called 'Focusmate,' which pairs users with a partner for a timed work session, as a method to increase accountability and maintain focus. The idea is that knowing someone else is watching can motivate one to stay on task and avoid distractions.

Highlights

The video discusses methods to stay focused and avoid the habit of infinite scrolling.

Outer distractions are environmental factors that can be diagnosed and fixed, such as phone notifications.

Inner distractions stem from personal thoughts and feelings, often due to lack of stimulation.

A four-step process is introduced to block out inner distractions, including identifying discomfort and journaling triggers and urges.

The '10-minute roll' technique is suggested to delay distractions, breaking the habit of immediate gratification.

Deep work sessions of 50-90 minutes are recommended to train oneself to be indistractable.

A visual timer can be beneficial in managing deep work sessions and breaks.

Focusmate is an app for virtual co-working to enhance accountability and focus.

Setting an implementation intention before starting work can significantly affect behavior and productivity.

Energy management is prioritized over time management for increased focus and productivity.

Optimizing sleep, diet, exercise, and nutrition can greatly impact one's energy levels and focus.

Meditation, specifically mindfulness meditation, is an effective tool for enhancing focus and reducing distractions.

Creating a consistent routine and workspace is essential for maintaining focus and entering a flow state.

The importance of testing different routines to find what works best for an individual is emphasized.

Consistency in workspace contributes to predictability and aids in staying focused for extended periods.

The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more content and a tease for a future video on the creator's daily routine.

Transcripts

yo welcome back to the channel

previously I made a video about how I

save up to 50 hours a week but today I

want to talk about when I actually do

get to work how I stay focused for a

long periods of time and stop the habit

of infinite scrolling this was something

I struggled with for a really long time

and after testing a lot of different

things I found five simple ideas that

really work for me and since then I've

been able to make progress on all my

goals and hobbies if you're new here I

make videos to help you optimize your

life I used to work in Tech Consulting

before I became a full-time entrepreneur

and and I love sharing what I'm testing

and learning on this channel the first

idea starts with removing the two types

of distractions the science of

distractions is actually quite

interesting and it's what this book

indistractable talks about the first

type of distraction are known as outer

distractions and it's what you might

expect things that pull at your

attention from the environment around

you usually these types of distractions

are easier to diagnose and fix like for

example if you find that you usually get

distracted by your phone notifications

when you get to work you could turn your

phone off put in a different room or you

could be like me and set up a modern

dumb foam to stop yourself from infinite

scrolling sometimes just removing this

outer distraction will be enough for you

to stay focused for a long period of

time but when I first tried this out I

found that sometimes I would still

distract myself with other things like

maybe I would start scrolling through my

photo album or cleaning my desk and this

is usually just because the thing that I

was doing wasn't as stimulating than

something else and this is the type of

distraction that most people Miss which

are known as inner distractions inner

distractions are generated by your

thoughts and feelings you actively go

and look for something to distract

yourself with because you're not being

stimulated Enough by the thing that

you're actually doing they've actually

done a bunch of studies on this related

to smoking sensation and the book breaks

down a simple four-step process that has

been proven to work that can help you

block out these inner distractions you

don't have to do these four steps

forever but it's a worthwhile experiment

to see if you have these inner

distractions and if you do you can

easily identify them and block them out

inner distractions are really caused by

some sort of discomfort with the thing

that you're doing and so that creates an

urge to do something else and so the

first step is to identify that

discomfort the second step is to take

out a journal or some page on a computer

and you can just write down what time it

was what the trigger was and what you

wanted to do it's sort of like time

tracking where you write down a list of

distractions that you can go back to so

for example the trigger might be you

feeling bored and the urge is to refresh

your email or check your notifications

the third step is to write down your

Sensations or how you're feeling and

this is actually the method that they

use for smoking sensation in one of the

studies it talks about the researchers

found that smokers who wrote down how

they were feeling when they had the urge

quit at Double the rate than those who

didn't and the fourth step is called the

10-minute roll which is just to wait 10

minutes before giving in on your

distraction like if you want to check

your phone or refresh your feed the book

says it's actually fine to do that but

just not immediately in the moment

because you wrote the time down you

could just wait 10 minutes and then you

could see if you still wanted to do that

and from my personal experience in most

cases I don't actually want to do that

10 minutes later creating that gap

between having the urge to do something

and actually doing it will break that

habit of infinite scrolling and being

distracted when you're trying to do

something else the more you do this

habit you can see over time that you get

better at training your brain to stay

focused for a long period of time and

you'll find that you'll have less and

less inner distractions so whenever I'm

trying to do this how I fit this into my

workflow is that I'll be working and

I'll have a journal open where I keep

track of different times when I get

distracted and want to do something else

this could be when I'm like reading or

practicing guitar or even just working

on my computer and anytime I feel this

inner distraction and I want to do

something else I just write down the

time what the trigger was and how I was

feeling I think this is actually more

powerful than blocking out Adder

distractions because you become hyper

aware of everything that could be

distracting you like I found that even

just having my Rubik Cube on my desk

when I'm working could distract me

because I'll have the urge to pick it up

and solve it if you know who Lex

Freedman is I remember seeing a video

where he talked about his daily routine

and he actually does something similar I

don't know if he read this book or not

but when he's in a deep work session he

keeps a Google doc open and he writes

down things that he wants to do later or

things that are distracting him and he

doesn't do them in the moment if

interesting ideas come into my head to

try to trick me into pulling on the

thread of that idea I gently said set it

aside and that's actually related to the

second idea which is to do deep work

sessions where you train yourself to be

indistractable so in one of my previous

videos I interviewed my friend ruri

Ohama who if you're not familiar with

she's a YouTuber with over 1.3 million

subscribers and she makes anywhere

between $50 to $100,000 per month and

one of the things that she really

changed my mind and opened my

perspective on was that it wasn't really

about working long hours to be

productive but more about how efficient

you are that really defines your

productivity you could work for 2 hours

a day and have a really successful

YouTube channel or you could grind for

10 hours a day but not really make any

progress so what has been useful for me

was to do these deep work sessions

between 50 to 90 minutes where I train

myself to be indestructible Andrew

huberman actually has some podcast where

he talks about the ideal length of time

to be working and he says it's about 90

minutes based on your circadian rhythm

or ultradian cycle there's a bunch of

science behind that but you can just use

as a guideline personally I still find

that 50 minutes to be the best ideal

amount of time for a deep work session

and I take a 10-minute break before

starting again and I have this visual

timer on my desk that makes it really

easy to see how much time's left of my

deep workk session I've probably

mentioned this like two or three times

in different videos and this has really

been super useful in training myself to

be indistractable cuz I can see how much

time is left before my break during my

deep work sessions I'll I'll have my

journal next to me and I'll write down

things that I want to do or different

urges to check my phone and it's usually

during my 10-minute break where I'm

defocusing that I'll give in and start

checking my phone and I find that this

is really useful for breaking the habit

of infinite scrolling because you're not

compulsively checking your phone you're

writing it down and checking it when you

actually want to once I actually get to

Rhythm I find that I can actually work

for multiple hours without taking any

breaks that's pretty much when I enter a

flow state where I completely lose track

of time and am just fully focused at the

thing I'm doing the more you can train

yourself to do these deep workk sessions

while being indistractable the easier it

is it will be to stay focused for a long

period of time one app that I found to

be super useful for deep work is this

website called Focus mate you basically

go there and you can hop on a one and

wall call with somebody and work for

1550 minutes straight it's super useful

with accountability and remembering to

stay focused I'm not affiliate with the

company anyway and they didn't sponsor

me to say this at all but I just

genuinely think it's a fun and useful

way to stay focused I think it's cool

because you get to meet other people who

are in different countries and work

alongside them the science behind why

this works so well is because you get in

the habit of setting an intention before

you actually start working and that is

the third idea which is to set an

implementation intention there was one

study in 2001 that really showed the

power of setting and intention so these

researchers basically just took two

groups of people people and had them go

through a motivational exercise training

they basically just talked about how

important it was to exercise what would

happen and they stopped exercising and

pumped them up to start exercising for

the next week or month for the first

group they just ended the presentation

there and they told them to go home and

exercise for the next week but for the

second group they continued the

presentation by having them write down

exactly when they were going to exercise

and what they were going to do so they

basically set an intention it was just

one or two sentences like stuff like on

Monday I will run for 30 minutes but

they found that just by doing that

simple thing it made a huge difference

in the first group only 35% of people

follow through with exercising regularly

but in the second group nearly 91% of

people follow through with the plan that

they set that's almost a 3X increase

just by saying and writing down what

you're going to do from that paper the

researchers basically found that

motivation itself had a very low impact

on Behavior but setting an

implementation intention had a really

significant effect on Behavior so one of

the keys to working for a long period of

time without being distracted is to

Simply plan what you're going to do and

what you're not going to do I think this

is why using social media on a schedule

is so powerful because you're basically

saying that you're not going to be using

social media for this part of the day

and you are going to be using social

media for this part of the day and so it

helps with being more intentional with

scrolling and not falling into the habit

of infinite scrolling but when it comes

to work you can pre-plan what you're

going to do by having your calendar or

you could say what you're going to do

before a 50-minute or 90-minute deep

work session this is much better than

just sitting down and saying it's work

time because you'll probably be just

picking random tasks to do the next idea

is related to energy management I read

about this in the Harvard Business

review and it completely changed how I

went about planning my day the title of

the paper is actually called Energy

Management over time management and it

talks about the idea that you have way

more control when it comes to trying to

manage your energy levels than trying to

squeeze out more time to work when I was

working my full-time job in Consulting I

still had many side projects that I was

working on like I had a language

learning podcast that I was doing every

single week and I was trying to launch a

software app but I quickly realized that

2 hours after work was really different

than 2 hours before work at night I had

completely depleted my willpower energy

and all I wanted to do was just to

scroll on YouTube or watch a Netflix

show but in the morning I found that it

was way easier to be motivated and

efficient for 2 hours so what I did at

the time to try to manage my energy

levels was I sort of shifted my sleeping

schedule so that I would wake up a

couple hours before 9:00 a.m. so I had a

solid amount of time to work on things

before I actually had to get to work

that way I was actually using my brain

power for things I was passionate about

and not just sitting in random meetings

and then at night I could scroll without

feeling any guilt because I had already

maximized everything I wanted to do for

that day if you start optimizing your

energy levels one of the first things

you'll notice is that based on your

circadian rhythm and chronotype you'll

have natural highs and lows throughout

the day so there's an ideal time for you

to be doing Focus work exercising and

chilling out there are a bunch of

quizzes online that you can take to

figure out your chronotype and it kind

of just estimates uh based on an average

when might be an optimal time for you to

be exercising Ing and working like for

example it says that I'm a bear type

which means that the best time to do

Focus work is 2 to 3 hours after waking

and I definitely feel like that is the

case but even beyond that the paper

identifies four dimensions of energy

that you can optimize to increase your

levels of focus and they are optimizing

your body mind emotion and spirit among

these four the biggest impact that I've

felt is when I've optimize my body

through improving my sleep diet exercise

and nutrition I've made a ton of videos

about this topic like how I optimize my

sleep biohacking and a few protocols to

feel focused if I'm feeling tired that

day so if you're interested you can

check that out one underrated habit

that's helped me with optimizing my

energy levels is meditating consistently

whenever I've meditated consistently for

a few weeks of doing about 20 minutes a

day I found that I've been able to focus

for longer periods of time and get

distracted less often the specific type

of meditation that I've done is called

mindfulness meditation and you basically

just pay attention to something like

your breath or something else and there

are a lot of studies about this of how

it can help increase gray matter in your

brain and change your brain waves there

are a bunch of other types of meditation

like gratitude or breath work or

visualization but from what I found

mindfulness meditation is most like

going to the gym and doing deliberate

training on your brain so if you have

ADHD maybe this form of meditation can

be really helpful for you the final one

is I think one of the most powerful ways

to stay focused for a long period of

time and that's to create a routine I

think the routine itself doesn't

actually matter as much as just having

one because just having a routine that

you do before you start doing Focus work

helps put your brain in the same state

in a literal perspective from a brain

wave standpoint it's what has unlocked

the most amount of focus for me and it's

why I've been so interested in breaking

down the tools and routines used by high

performers on this channel I studied

some entrepreneurs who work literally 1

minute after waking and there's other

people who are more like an athlete and

they go through an elaborate morning

routine before they get started and so I

think it's worth testing different ones

to see what works the best for you and

part of having a routine is also having

a consistent Works Space because one of

the things I found to be able to

consistently drop in a flow state is to

have some predictability about where

you're working and where you're at for

example I always thought that it would

be cool to be traveling and working sort

of like a digital Nomad but so even

though I can't I can do that now since I

quit my job um whenever I've tried

traveling and working I've not been able

to have that really high levels of focus

because there's too many things that are

stimulating and I get distracted by

working in a cafe from personal

experience I found that having a set

Works Space that you work at or even the

same spot in a cafe helps more than you

think in consistently staying focused

for a long period of time and not

falling into bad habits but yeah that's

it if you enjoyed this video consider

subscribing to see more videos like this

and I'll put up a video of my daily

routine you want to watch that I'll see

you there let's get

[Music]

yeah