[The Typing Baker] Me, Losing Focus in 40 Seconds, Stop Blaming Myself

by Kim Dongpyo

Published 02 Sep.2023 18:46(KST)

Phones, emails, messengers, laptops, smartphones, and so on are placed in offices to save time and maximize productivity. People are constantly making calls, exchanging messages, and typing on word processors and Excel. It is said that office workers switch between computer applications 566 times a day. Despite working so busily and efficiently, they have not become less busy. On the contrary, they always feel short of time.

The various tools around us are useful instruments but also distractions. The average concentration time of an office worker sitting in front of a computer is "40 seconds." After 40 seconds of starting work, attention shifts elsewhere or stops. A colleague asking, "What do you want for lunch today?", a notification that "Your favorite stock has risen more than 5%", a phone call saying "A new card with great benefits has been released," a messenger from a boss telling you to "revise the draft you uploaded a week ago before leaving work" ? just as you barely get your body and mind aligned and grip the mouse, 40 seconds later, what you are looking at is a photo of a 'Hipjiro restaurant' that a friend posted on SNS yesterday.

There are many tasks to do, but concentration is lacking, and although the day seems busy, there is no sense of achievement, creating a vicious cycle. Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault but your brain’s. The brain always wants something new to release dopamine. Even if something is important, if it’s not interesting, you cannot focus. The important thing is not to resent or self-blame yourself for losing concentration every 40 seconds. Chris Bailey, author of Habitual Immersion, suggests that the solution is to "block distractions as much as possible in advance" and develop the habit of switching back to immersion when concentration breaks.

There are five main practical steps for immersion. ① To concentrate, first remove distractions in advance. Minimize smartphone push notifications, and check or reply to SNS messages at designated times in batches. ② Turn off the brain’s autopilot function. The brain automatically gravitates toward fun and stimulating elements. Like setting a destination on a navigation system, cultivate the habit of recognizing your original goals and intentions. ③ Choose what is important. Multitasking is a luxury. Only one thing can occupy the brain’s attention area at a time. If you refuse this, you are likely to face memory decline due to overload, frequent mistakes, distraction, and the worst results. ④ Just endure 40 seconds first. No matter the temptation, try to endure the first 40 seconds, then gradually increase to 1 minute, 1 minute 20 seconds, and so on. ⑤ When concentration breaks, just concentrate again.

The author says, "Habitual immersion not only increases productivity but also gives a sense of self-control over life, allows you to approach bigger goals and live proactively, achieve better results, and rest comfortably without guilt when stepping back from work." Habitual Immersion is a self-help book but also a remedy for office workers who blame themselves for "busy and meaningless days" every time they leave work.