Click on a word or part of a phrase to learn more.

Scroll through the captions and click to skip to a caption.

Play video to start

Do you ever find yourself...

Do you ever find yourself

Do you ever find yourself trying to concentrate

and you can't seem to focus?

and you can't seem to focus

Why are we so distracted these days?

Why are we so distracted these days

And is technology the root cause of the problem,

And is technology the root cause of the problem

or is there something deeper going on?

or is there something deeper going on

My name is Nir Eyal, and I've spent the last five years

My name is Nir Eyal and I've spent the last five years

researching and writing about the deeper psychology of distraction.

researching and writing about the deeper psychology of distraction

When I found myself struggling with distraction,

When I found myself struggling with distraction

I decided to do what many people advise

and got rid of the distracting technology.

and got rid of the distracting technology

I got myself a flip-phone without any apps.

I got myself a flip-phone without any apps

All it did was phone calls and text messages.

All it did was phone calls and text messages

Then I got a word processor from the 1990s

without any sort of internet connection.

without any sort of internet connection

Unfortunately I found I still got distracted.

Unfortunately I found I still got distracted

I'd start reading a book from my bookshelf.

I'd start reading a book from my bookshelf

I'd tidy up my desk. I'd take out the trash even -

I'd tidy up my desk I'd take out the trash even

just to avoid the thing that I didn’t want to do.

just to avoid the thing that I didn’t want to do

I had only focused on the external triggers -

I had only focused on the external triggers

the pings and dings that were leading me towards distraction.

the pings and dings that were leading me towards distraction

What I hadn't focused on,

What I hadn't focused on

and what turns out to be a much more common source of distraction,

and what turns out to be a much more common source of distraction

are the internal triggers -

are the internal triggers

the uncomfortable emotional states that we seek to escape.

the uncomfortable emotional states that we seek to escape

When we're lonely, we check Facebook.

When we're lonely we check Facebook

When we're uncertain, we google.

When we're uncertain we google

When we're bored, we check the news, stocks prices, sports scores -

When we're bored we check the news stocks prices sports scores

anything to not feel these uncomfortable sensations

that we're not ready to experience.

that we're not ready to experience

Here are a few techniques I discovered in my research

that could help us stay on track.

that could help us stay on track

First what you want to do is to make sure you plan your day.

First what you want to do is to make sure you plan your day

Two-thirds of people don't keep any sort of calendar,

Two-thirds of people don't keep any sort of calendar

any kind of schedule in their day.

any kind of schedule in their day

Well the fact of the matter is if you don't plan your day,

Well the fact of the matter is if you don't plan your day

somebody is going to plan it for you.

somebody is going to plan it for you

Many of us believe in this myth of the to-do list.

Many of us believe in this myth of the to-do list

I used to think that just by writing things down they'd get done.

I used to think that just by writing things down they'd get done

But of course I'd go from day to day to day

recycling the bottom half of my to-to list

because I wasn't making time to do those tasks.

because I wasn't making time to do those tasks

So the best place to start is not with the output

of what you want to get done every day,

of what you want to get done every day

but with the input of how much time you have to devote to every task.

but with the input of how much time you have to devote to every task

So distraction has many consequences.

So distraction has many consequences

One of them is that we find that when someone is interrupted during a task,

One of them is that we find that when someone is interrupted during a task

it can take up to 20 minutes for them to refocus on what they were doing.

it can take up to 20 minutes for them to refocus on what they were doing

Many times we don't even realise how much worse our output is when we...

Many times we don't even realise how much worse our output is when we

So check email in one solid block.

So check email in one solid block

If you enjoy using social media that's great,

If you enjoy using social media that's great

but make time for it in your day so it's not something you're only using

every time you feel bored or lonely.

every time you feel bored or lonely

Researchers have found that surfing the urge

is an effective way to master our internal triggers.

is an effective way to master our internal triggers

In a smoking cessation study,

In a smoking cessation study

researchers found that when they taught smokers how to notice

the sensation and be mindful of what they were experiencing,

the sensation and be mindful of what they were experiencing

they became much more likely to stop smoking.

they became much more likely to stop smoking

By surfing the urge and noticing what it is that we're experiencing

and allowing that sensation to crest and then subside -

and allowing that sensation to crest and then subside

kind of like how a surfer might surf a wave -

kind of like how a surfer might surf a wave

we allow that emotion, that uncomfortable internal trigger,

we allow that emotion that uncomfortable internal trigger

to crest and then pass.

to crest and then pass

The next thing that we want to do is be careful of liminal moments.

The next thing that we want to do is be careful of liminal moments

Liminal moments are these periods of time when we are transitioning

from one task to the other.

from one task to the other

So for example if you start checking your email

on the way back from a meeting and you're finally at your desk

and you keep checking your email

instead of getting to the task at hand

well now that liminal moment has turned into a distraction.

well now that liminal moment has turned into a distraction

So be careful of those times

when you're transitioning from one task to the next.

when you're transitioning from one task to the next

A study of alcoholics found that the number one determinant

of whether someone would stay sober after a rehabilitation programme

was not their level of physical dependency,

was not their level of physical dependency

it wasn't what was happening in their body,

it wasn't what was happening in their body

in fact it was what was happening in their minds.

in fact it was what was happening in their minds

The people who were most likely to stay sober

were those who believed they had the power to stop.

were those who believed they had the power to stop

So when we think that technology is hijacking our brains

or it's addicting everyone, we are making it more likely that

or it's addicting everyone we are making it more likely that

we won't be able to put technology distractions in their place.

we won't be able to put technology distractions in their place

So don't believe this lie that there's nothing we can do.

So don't believe this lie that there's nothing we can do

Clearly there's so much we can do

to help make sure that we get the best out of these products

without letting them get the best of us.

without letting them get the best of us

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos.

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos

See you again soon!

See you again soon

Talking speed

Stop/Pause Stop

Account Settings Subscriptions

You might also like these videos

BBC ideas

Choose another category

⌛

If you enjoy using our custom video player, why not join thousands of subscribers who have signed up to our free weekly lessons?