In today’s world, attention feels like the most scarce commodity. Our minds are constantly pulled in a dozen directions—emails, WhatsApp groups, social media feeds, endless to-do lists. It’s no wonder that by afternoon, most of us feel mentally drained, even if we haven’t done anything particularly demanding.

But here’s the good news: attention is not a fixed resource—it can be recharged and trained, just like a muscle. Think of it as a battery that loses power through overuse, but can be restored with the right practices. Drawing from thinkers like Cal Newport (Deep Work), Daniel Goleman (Focus), Nir Eyal (Indistractable), Johann Hari (Stolen Focus), and decades of brain research, here are five powerful ways to restore your focus.

1. Do Deep Work (Cal Newport)

Cal Newport argues that shallow, distracted work leaves us depleted, while deep, focused work is energizing. When we immerse ourselves in a single meaningful task—writing, coding, studying, even problem-solving—the brain slips into a state of flow.

How to try it:

• Block 45–60 minutes a day for one demanding task.

• Shut off notifications, keep your phone in another room, and treat it as a protected “meeting with yourself.”

• You’ll be surprised at how recharged you feel after completing one chunk of real work instead of juggling ten small distractions.

2. Limit Attention Leaks (Nir Eyal)

Nir Eyal describes distraction as often being “internal”—we pick up our phones not because of the device itself, but because of restlessness, boredom, or stress. Still, external triggers like constant notifications act like holes in your mental battery.

How to try it:

• Audit your notifications. Keep only calls and essential alerts.

• Create “focus environments”: a separate browser for work, or a quiet physical space without your phone.

• Build daily rituals—like starting with 15 minutes of reading or reflection before opening messages.

By sealing these leaks, you don’t just save attention—you build confidence in your ability to control it.

3. Engage in Mindful Breaks (Daniel Goleman)

Daniel Goleman emphasizes that attention is a muscle that fatigues. Just as athletes need rest between sets, our minds need recovery to maintain high performance. Mindful breaks restore this balance.

How to try it:

• Take a 5-minute breathing or stretching break every 90 minutes.

• Try “single-task walking”: walk slowly and pay attention to your footsteps and breath.

• Short meditations—apps like Headspace or even simple belly breathing—activate the parasympathetic system, lowering stress hormones.

These pauses don’t waste time—they recharge your mental circuits for the next round of focus.

4. Rediscover Boredom (Johann Hari)

Johann Hari makes a provocative argument: one reason our attention is collapsing is that we’ve lost the ability to tolerate boredom. Whenever there’s a gap—standing in line, waiting for a friend—we reach for our phones. But boredom is not the enemy; it’s the fertile soil of creativity and restoration.

How to try it:

• Resist the urge to fill every idle moment with a scroll.

• Allow yourself 10 minutes a day of “doing nothing”—just sitting, staring, letting thoughts wander.

• Encourage kids with ADHD to have unstructured playtime, not just scheduled activities.

In these quiet pockets, the mind resets—and often, our best ideas appear.

5. Move Your Body (Behavioral Science & ADHD Research)

Exercise is one of the most underutilized attention boosters. For people with ADHD, it’s especially powerful: aerobic activity increases dopamine and norepinephrine, the very chemicals targeted by ADHD medications. Beyond chemistry, movement improves sleep, mood, and resilience.

How to try it:

• 20 minutes of brisk walking or cycling before work or study.

• Short bursts of skipping rope or jumping jacks during breaks.

• Structured exercise—yoga, martial arts, dance—adds discipline and enhances executive functioning.

Think of exercise as charging your brain’s battery with clean energy.

The Bigger Picture

When you combine these five practices, you create a holistic recharge system:

• Deep work builds focus stamina.

• Cutting leaks conserves your energy.

• Mindful breaks reset your circuits.

• Boredom renews creativity.

• Exercise boosts brain chemistry.

In a distracted world, reclaiming attention is not just about productivity—it’s about living deliberately. By treating attention as a precious resource and investing in habits that recharge it, you’ll find more clarity, creativity, and calm in daily life.

✦ About the Author
I’m Dr. Srinivas Rajkumar T, MD (AIIMS, New Delhi), DNB, MBA (BITS Pilani), Consultant Psychiatrist at Mind & Memory Clinic, Apollo Clinic, Velachery, Chennai (Opp. Phoenix Mall).
My expertise spans ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neuromodulation therapies (rTMS, tDCS, neurofeedback, and digital brain-based tools).

📞 +91 85951 55808 | 🌐 srinivasaiims.com