Book SummaryAttention Span, by Gloria Mark

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Attention Span

We often feel pressured to be as productive as possible while being bombarded with far more distractions than we can handle. A lot of us believe we could use our time better if we learned to focus on our most important tasks to the exclusion of everything else. Many productivity experts believe we should all be working toward this supreme level of intense, uninterrupted concentration—but what if that’s the wrong approach entirely? What if laser focus isn’t just unrealistic, but detrimental to achieving the things we want from work and life?

In Attention Span, published in 2023, Gloria Mark presents an alternative solution to the problem of staying focused all the time—don’t. She suggests that attention isn’t limited to “focused or distracted,” but that there are multiple types of attention, all of which have value —even time spent doing mindless, mechanical work, playing games on your phone, or just letting your mind wander. Mark advocates finding the appropriate balance between deep concentration and mental relaxation to help your mind operate at its...

Attention Span Summary The Nature of Attention

To begin a discussion on human attention, we must first determine what that concept means. Mark argues that this isn’t as easy as it sounds, since we use the word “attention” as an umbrella term that covers a variety of cognitive behaviors. Mark starts from the traditional definition of attention and expands it to include automatic and dynamic factors that affect where your mind directs its focus.

Psychologists have long described attention as something you do deliberately. In other words, attention is your choice to concentrate on a single task or experience at any given moment. However, Mark explains that in practice, attention is much more complicated. While you can direct some of your attention by choice, much of your attention is out of your conscious control. Mark differentiates between executive attention, in which your brain prioritizes tasks and decides where to place your focus, and automatic attention, in which your instincts and habitual responses reroute your focus faster than you can stop them.

(Shortform note: Mark’s distinction between “executive” and “automatic” isn’t the only way to think about attention. In...

Attention Span Summary Why It’s Hard to Concentrate

The biggest problem we face when trying to be productive is that the things that distract us seem limitless, especially now that the digital world has infiltrated every aspect of life. However, our devices aren’t entirely to blame. Mark explains that our capacity for attention is inherently limited because, as research has long established, the amount of mental energy you have available is finite. Specifically, your executive control—the ability to stave off distractions and direct your attention at will—can run out. Feeling intellectually drained is real, and it has a physiological basis: When you direct your thoughts to a singular task, your body increases the amount of blood and oxygen to the specific regions of your brain that handle it. However, you can’t maintain increased blood flow indefinitely, and as it diminishes, so too does your ability to focus. Your body’s energy reserves need to be recharged, whether by relaxing or shifting your attention somewhere else.

(Shortform note: Mark may be overgeneralizing when she implies that only specific regions of the brain are associated with focusing on a given task. While executive control is in the purview of the brain’s...

Attention Span Summary Take the Power (Mostly) Back

Given all the ways modern technology hijacks your attention, is trying to control your focus a lost cause? Not at all. Mark acknowledges that even though many external factors shape our behavior, we still retain some ability to choose how we act. The first step in reclaiming power over your attention is to become mindful of the internal and external factors that distract you. Then, learn to moderate your responses so that you’re less reactive to distraction’s tug and pull.

(Shortform note: Mark’s advice to be mindful of the urges that distract you takes practice, and mindfulness meditation may serve as a useful first step. In Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana defines mindfulness as the ability to listen to your thoughts without being caught up in them. He argues that through meditation, you can learn to control your mind and rob the impulses that distract you of their power. There are many approaches to meditation you can use, for which Shortform’s Master Guide to Choosing a Meditation Practice provides a...

Shortform Exercise: Are You Paying Attention?

Mark identifies several different mental states that determine how you direct your attention, and she asserts that each has value. Think about how you experience these states, what each one adds to your life, and how easy they are to maintain.

Describe a task in which you’re often able to maintain focused concentration. How is staying in this mental state rewarding? What’s most likely to break your concentration during this activity?