{"id":24446,"date":"2023-10-18T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=24446"},"modified":"2023-10-31T11:20:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T18:20:24","slug":"fellas-lets-figure-it-out-dopamine-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2023\/10\/18\/fellas-lets-figure-it-out-dopamine-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Fellas, Let\u2019s Figure It Out<\/em>: Dopamine, part two"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last issue, I talked about what\u2019s undoubtedly one of the biggest problems affecting our generation: smartphone addiction and the resulting inability to focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this edition, I\u2019ll share some actionable tips for improving your attention span and ability to focus deeply on one thing at a time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, to briefly touch on the subject of multitasking: the science is clear that the brain functions best, and you can produce the highest quality work, when you are focused on just one thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fellas, Let’s Figure It Out<\/em> is a column appearing in every issue of Nexus<\/em> (photo provided).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, if your study sessions involve bouncing between the textbook, Snapchat, and Instagram, you are likely not producing your best work.<\/p>\n

Our brain and body constantly adapt to the stimulus we impose on them\u2014meaning if you\u2019re always switching between homework and the same three apps on your phone, then a lack of focus becomes your default state.<\/p>\n

The best way to retrain your brain is to force yourself to do one thing at a time. Think of your focus as a muscle: the more you train it, the stronger it gets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step one on this brain-retraining journey starts while studying or doing an assignment. Pick a set amount of time to work, put your phone in a different room, and get to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to focus, try the Pomodoro Technique, in which you work for 25 minutes, then you take a five-minute break where you can check texts and move around a bit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second step on the path to unfucking your focus is to sit down and read a book. Not an audiobook, not an ebook\u2014a physical book.<\/p>\n

Start with a topic you find interesting: sports, romance, or whatever floats your boat. The key here is to eliminate all distractions and focus intensely on what you are reading.<\/p>\n

Other small but powerful ways to train your brain include eating a meal alone with no screens or going on a walk with no music or podcasts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, start cutting out the cheap dopamine and spend your time doing something real. Break a sweat, learn something, spend time with your family, and go outside. You\u2019ll be healthier and happier for it.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself struggling to focus I urge you to keep going. Everything in our lives is designed to deplete focus and drive quick, constant engagement. The only way to combat this is through a sustained, intentional effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last issue, I talked about what\u2019s undoubtedly one of the biggest problems affecting our generation: smartphone addiction and the resulting inability to focus.\u00a0 In this edition, I\u2019ll share some actionable tips for improving your attention span and ability to focus deeply on one thing at a time.\u00a0 First, to briefly touch on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,297],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-october-18-2023"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24446"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24447,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24446\/revisions\/24447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}