Explore what happens to us when we are distracted, and how this impacts our attention and productivity.
Cognitive load theory
First proposed by John Sweller in 1988, cognitive load theory posits that the human brain has a limited capacity for processing information in our working memory.
“In order to truly listen, we must first learn to quiet our minds.”
Shakti Gawain.
Our cognitive load increases when learning something new or take in complex information. Our working memory works hard to process all the incoming data. High cognitive load can overwhelm us, and our brains may start to shut down or tune out.
High cognitive load can lead to difficulty with comprehension and, ultimately, to distraction. As important as this is for instructional design, let’s bring this back to our throughline about listening.
It is harder to listen and remain present when we feel cognitively overloaded. If we try to process too much information at once, we may start to tune out or get distracted.
Why do we get distracted?
When we get distracted, our prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functioning skills like attention and focus, takes a backseat to the more primitive part of our brain, the limbic system.
When it perceives a threat, it sends a signal to the prefrontal cortex to divert our attention away from what we’re doing so that we can deal with the threat. Novelty is also a powerful trigger for the limbic system. In our constantly connected world, we are bombarded with new information and notifications that can quickly pull us away from what we’re supposed to be focused on.
“If we really want to get focused, if we really want to more skillfully manage the distractions of digital life, the path has to include developing a new habit of more effectively managing our most precious resource: our attention.”
Inc.
Research into attention, distraction and focus from 2010 reveals that our brain has a default mode that we barely notice.
Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert call this state ‘stimulus-independent thought’, we might say: mind wandering. The study found that people’s minds wandered in 46.9% of the samples, regardless of their actions.
This occurs when we are not focused on the task and our mind wanders into other thoughts. This can be daydreaming about the weekend or thinking about what we need to do later that day. Importantly, this also happens when we zone out and stop listening to the person talking to us. (Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010)
“it takes us 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task after an interruption”
The cost of distraction is high.
Gloria Mark studies digital distraction at the University of California. In her research, she has found that it takes us 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task after an interruption (Mark, Gudith & Klocke 2008). That’s a lot of time wasted!
Furthermore, when we are interrupted, it takes us longer to complete the task at hand, and our work is often of lower quality. This is because we must expend mental energy to remember what we were doing and where we left off.
“Well, people have to cognitively reorient where they were, and this is an extra cognitive load because you have to recall, for example, where you were if you’re working on a document, what was your train of thought before you got interrupted?”
Gloria Mark
Etymology of Distraction
As long-term readers will know, I often use a first principles approach to seek understanding. We have briefly looked at the psychology and neuroscience of distraction – now, let’s turn to the etymology. What does the word ‘distraction’ actually mean?
The Latin root of distraction is distrahere, which means “to draw in different directions” or “to pull apart.” When we are distracted, our attention is pulled away from what we are trying to focus on.
“a drawing of the mind in different directions, mental confusion or bewilderment.”
Etymology online
This is a helpful way to think about it because it can remind us that we have some control over our attention. If our attention is being pulled away, it means that we are the ones who are doing the pulling.
We can choose to focus our attention on one thing, or we can allow it to be pulled in different directions.
⏭🎯 Your Next Steps
Commit to action and turn words into works
I like the Notice-Shift-Rewire, process to help you tune back in. Simple and easy to remember.
- Notice – when you catch yourself being pulled away, take notice
- Shift – shift your focus back to what you were doing or the person who is talking
- Rewire – stay with the successful refocus to help fire and rewire some neurons into a new habit
🗣💬 Your Talking Points
Lead a team dialogue with these provocations
- Listening is effortful.
- The cost of distraction is high in terms of time and quality of work.
- Distraction can be caused by cognitive overload, leading to difficulty comprehending what is being said.