How to Fix Your Brainrot (Before It's Too Late)

We all grew up in a world that loves multitasking. Reply while you scroll. Listen while you work. Watch something while eating. Now, at some point, we stop doing one thing at a time. Ever. And it's not just the internet. This started decades ago, but now with the infinite notifications, apps, endless podcasts, TV, music, and 15 second video. loops on repeat, it's become an epidemic of attention crisis. And research shows that the average person now switches tasks every 47 seconds.

And there's a paper saying that our attention span is less than that. of a goldfish. So that feeling that we all have to struggle to sit still or focus. is killing our ability to learn and work on what really matters. So how do you get your attention back? Now, I was curious about this, and after putting myself to the test here, seven simple steps to rebuild your focus that really work for me. Now is a challenge you to try to watch this full video, in full screen. and one text feed without switching to something else.

Let's start. Step one is to figure out what deserves your attention. So before you try any productivity hack, you need to know what's actually worth. focusing on. And here's a five minute exercise that I learned from part of the expert. Chris Bailey's book, hyperfocus. And that is the sort your task into four categories. The first one is the unproductive and the unenjoyable. task, like organizing your spare charging cables when you have the time. The second one is distracting task. So these are enjoyable but unproductive, like scrolling Instagram and TikTok.

The third one is necessary, so these are productive but enjoyable task. like filling out your taxes. And the last one is a meaningful task. So these are productive and enjoyable. These are the work that actually moves your life forward. And when I did this exercise, I couldn't believe that I was spending over 80% of my time. Other distracting tasks that are not really moving me forward. So I was focusing the wrong things. And by the way, on the back of this I created a productivity matrix.

Are using methods similar to Chris in the book, which helped me to stay focus and get more done. You can also get a free copy for yourself in the link, in the description, or in the QR code here. And here's your goal. And what I made into mine is to spend more time in a meaningful quadrant. So if you can't figure out why it matters to you, either find a reason that connects with your values or just stop doing it. So let me show you what this looks like for me. Now, for ages, I want to create a cohort based course. I kept putting it off so I would research course platforms.

I would find the perfect curriculum. I will overthink the whole branding. How shall we name it? So my brain was avoiding the really hard things, which is to just launch my cohort course with my first group of students, which is going to be imperfect, but I end up convincing myself. that I need to do easier things first to distract me. So more research, fancier webcams. Maybe I need better planning. But once I realized that launching scrappy early. and to ship it is actually more meaningful work.

And I say this because I truly felt that the impact that I was able to make, everything really changed for me. I created one landing page I sent to my newsletter. I ran my first cohort. Now I'm running cohort two and more planned this year as well. The thing to realize is that when you know what deserves your attention. and why it matters, your brain fully stop resisting. everything you're doing to distract yourself. And step number two is to find your current focus level. You can't improve what you don't really measure.

And that really applies to anything in life but especially your attention. span. So here's the find where your starting point is. You only pick a single task. Maybe you write in the journal with just a pen. Or work on a project that you've been meaning to do for ages. And we all got those right. So set a timer and to work on just that one thing. It's not easy to say on one task. So you want to see how long you can focus. before you have that urge to switch to something else. So track when you couldn't resist to finally check your phone, or maybe open.

a new tab on your browser or your mind starting to wonder. So write that number down how long that was and then say, okay, so don't judge yourself. That's just your current focus level. And we can work to improve it. and train your focus muscle to help you sustain your focus even longer. And even though that research shows most people today. switch tasks every 47 seconds when they're working, experts who practice deep work regularly can sustain focus. for up to 60 to 90 minutes at a time, and some can go up to four hours.

And that's not because they're special is because they train their attention. like a skill. And wherever your numbers today, you can get better and better at it. So I started at just about being able to read one page in a book. before I get really fidgety. But now I can work up to 90 minutes in a deep work mode, and then take a break to refresh my mind and move on to something else. And set number three to clear the path. So what I mean by this is that your environment is working against you.

And this is because we're living in an increasingly distracted world. And it's only going to get even worse. So let's win the battle by redesigning your environment. for focus and finally take back control. So you want to put your phone in another room. if you can not on your desk face down, literally. Physically other reach. Well, maybe in a drawer even that you can just lock away. So in deep work, Cal Newport argues that many digital tools like social media. messaging tools are deliberately engineered to capture your attention.

So instead of really strong, sometimes physical barriers and routines. to protect your builds the focus. And instead of quitting social media completely, which, let's be honest, it's. pretty much impossible for those of us who want to stay connected. You want to turn off all the notifications instead, and everything. it trains your brain to expect interruptions. So for me, because I'm a parent, I set up this notification profile. on my iPhone that allows only my children's teachers. and my parents and my partner to call me, and the ringtone is turned.

on only for them. But it also allows me to fully concentrate, knowing that. even if I turned off all the notifications and ringtones, I can still be reached in situations that really need me. And now, when you're working on something, make sure you close your 20. browser tabs and only open what you need for the current task. And you also want to keep a notepad next to you. I love this tip that I learned and tried from Chris Bailey's. Hyperfocus is one of distracting thought that pops in my head. Let's say I need to get more milk. I write it down to have acting on it.

And you can write down the thoughts which reduce your mental load. so you can stay focused and not let it suck your energy. all day thinking about it and then forgetting later. What is it that I need to do again? And all this to help you prepare to train your attention span. To help you remove your obstacles. Now some. Number four is to build. your focus gradually and remember that attention is a skill. Just like public speaking. Just like coding. Just like anything else that you learn and have to learn. So I believe in the 100 hour rule.

that is 80 minutes a day for a year equals 100 hours. That's not to go from beginner to competent at almost anything. So I used to use this to learn public speaking. The old me was really shy, introverted in my early 20s. But I want to practice regularly and record myself speaking to my phone. later on, attending workshops to get feedback, and then giving small. talks to my close friends and then family and eventually bigger group friends. And within a year, I was a confident speaker. So I also use this to learn coding.

I had zero experience and not technical by any means, but I spent 80 minutes a day learning coding. Within a few months. I could call my own basic website and now I can build apps after learning. I love coding in my own time. And I think the same applies to focus. So start with five minutes. Focus box. Just that one task and one tap. Don't switch between different tasks because you really. Interestingly, I was looking to research about this. It takes an average 23 minutes and 15 seconds. to fully refocus after an interruption or task switching.

According to this research by Gloria mark at the University. of California, and after a few days, add five minutes. Keep building and work up to 25 minutes, then 45 and then 90. Then research shows that the brain works best in 90 minutes cycles. And that can be your target if you can. But you can always build up to a gradually. So the key thing is that you're not trying to be perfect here. You're just trying to be 1% better than yesterday. And that's good enough. And you may or may not know this, but maybe you are better in the morning, in the afternoon or nighttime.

Now, most people, they fall into one of these three zones I talked about. So think about how you really work and pick your focus when no time. Made that the same time every day possible. If you're a morning person, block out 8 to 11 a.m. to do your most important work. I actually block out meetings if I can, to have them in the afternoons. Because I am a morning person, I wouldn't save that time for when I work best. And if you're a night person block of the evening, the consistency here is what makes it into habit for the long term. and to grow your attention span over time.

For when you work fast. And set number five is to build your focus trigger. So here's something I learned from. Cal Newport's deep work is that your brain responds to patterns, and when you do the same thing before your focus work, every single time, your brain starts to associate that action with being in focus mode. So I used to waste 10 to 15 minutes every morning when I sat down to work. So now I have this simple routine. Close all the tabs except where I need. So if it's writing I love using this online tool called.

is completely free called Zen pen.io with just a white blank sheet. On my browser and I put my noise canceling headphones on. and then put on the same instrumental playlist, which you can get the link. to my Spotify list down below and turn the timer for 90 minutes. And that's it. Now your routine could be completely different. Maybe you want to clear your desk, or maybe grab a glass of water. Maybe you open your notebook to journal or fresh page and just write the date. Or maybe you sit at the same spot or your kitchen table every single day,

whatever that is. The specific action doesn't really matter. What matters is that it's the same every time and is personal to you. So you're training your brain to recognize, when I do this, it's time to get in the zone and just focus. So after a few weeks, you won't have to force yourself to focus anymore. And that's what I found anyway, is that you'll do your routine. and your brain will just shift automatically. So for me, this helped me to prepare for that every morning when I sit down to work. And knowing that I have exactly what I need to get things done.

So this hyperfocus routine, it really helped to remove that decision fatigue. So you can save your mental energy for the actual work when it happens. And step number six is the built in recovery periods. So this is the thing that so many people overlook that can really kill their energy. and attention span. Make sure you are scheduling your rest into your day because rest is productive. And for the majority people, after 90 minutes that brings performance. just drops. Instead of pushing through, I like to take a 15 minute break.

So I take a walk outside with no film, taking some fresh air. And sometimes this brings that new idea and inspiration into my work. And I love this part in the book. Deep work where you pour explains that breaks aren't deviation. from your peak performance. They're actually part of your performance. And all the high performers they practices daily. Pro tip is that I also love trying this out by doing a shut down ritual. Also learning this from Cal Newport. And this can be something like you're checking your email one last time.

Maybe you're updating your to do list with what you finished the day with. Maybe you can say all done out loud. But what it does that this tells your brain that the work is over. and you can actually relax now. Enjoy the rest of your day. As I mentioned, it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus after just one interruption. So remember to protect your focus blocks like you mean it. And when you're done, just close the loop completely. and send number seven to track progress and connect your work to meaning.

So here's what I really learned after trying all of these steps is that. it's not just about building the skill of focus, but it's also about understanding why you're doing the work in the first place. So all these steps that led me to this realization is that there's a difference. between being pushed towards work and then being pulled by meaning. And that's the main reason why some of us can sustain focus the long term. And then some of us just give up after a couple of weeks. So this is a push and pull framework. So when you're pushed you need constant discipline and willpower to keep going.

But when you're pulled towards something that work itself draws you in. And this happened to me multiple times in my own lifetime. It's only clear now that one reflecting back on it is when I was four years old. My parents, they made me learn piano. and no connection to piano, or no reason why it mattered to me. So easily. I quit after a year. My brother was born. And then years later, I discovered the music by Ludovico and. His piano music was just beautiful. And I fell in love with it.

And then suddenly I want to play piano. Not because anyone was pushing me. But because the music itself, it pulled me in. I played every day because it meant something to me. And here's what I want you to do. Before any hard task, ask yourself, why does this matter? Write it down and keep it visible so you can see it every single day. And then track your progress towards it. Not to judge yourself. on where you are, but to watch yourself improve every single day. And when I started my baseline, which is ten minutes of focus,

and now it's up to 90, that progress didn't just rebuild my focus, but also rewire my identity to myself from I can't focus. so I can train my focus just one task at a time. Remember that your attention span isn't broken. and you can do something about it now. So here's a quick recap to help you with that one. You want to figure out what deserves your attention first, and then two is to find your current focus level. Where's it at? And if three is to clear the path for you to do your best work,

and then four is to build up gradually using the 100 hour rule. Then five is to use repeatable systems and routines, and then six is building. your rest and recovery to come back stronger every single day. And lastly, step seven is to track your progress and connect to your work. And why means so much to you. And get started on this and your next tasks. The sooner you get your attention back, the sooner you get to reclaim your life, to do what matters. If you like this video and you feel that you struggle with balancing with what. you're doing with a full time job, I have been there.

Check out how I manage the full time job schedule while also building. towards some of my biggest goals in life in this video here. Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you in the next video.