From students struggling to focus in class to professionals feeling overworked and overwhelmed, it seems like we’re constantly battling against an increasing amount of distractions. In this reflective post, I’ll be diving into the challenges we face in our modern world, exploring what’s behind our decreasing attention spans and increasing levels of distraction. I’ll also be sharing some perspectives that I’ve gained from recent reads, as well as offering up some potential solutions. If you are interested in producing more high-quality work, this post is for you. 

A few weeks ago, I embarked on a quest to cultivate more mindfulness in my life. As someone with a highly active mind, I often find it challenging to shut off the mental chatter and focus on the present moment. Can you relate? That’s when I stumbled upon an extraordinary book called Deep Work by Cal Newport. In this insightful text, Newport argues that in our increasingly distracted world, the value of deep, meaningful work is on the rise. He points out that many of us are trapped in a state of constant distraction, which leads to what he calls “shallow work.” This type of work is the opposite of deep work, and it’s essential that we develop habits to promote deep work in our lives.

Let me paint a picture for you: imagine an educator sitting down to tackle a task that demands deep concentration, such as creating a scheme of work, designing a lesson plan, or marking a set of essays. This individual leads a busy work life, with a browser open and multiple tabs, Outlook ready to beep at any moment, and a team WhatsApp group always pinging with notifications. As they attempt to enter a state of deep work, an email notification pops up, prompting them to divert their attention and respond. When they try to return to the task at hand, their mind is still cluttered with remnants of the email, preventing them from fully immersing themselves in the work. Within a mere 20 minutes, they face several more distractions, leaving their mind filled with what Cal Newport refers to as “residue.” The end result? Mediocre work, if they’re lucky.

It may seem like common sense, but have you ever stopped to consciously consider the residue that builds up in your mind on a daily basis? While AI and technology can handle shallow work and administrative tasks, it’s deep work that truly matters now. So the question is, how can we increase our ability to engage in deep work? And how can we create suitable environments for our students to do the same?

Before we move on, I’d like to digress for a moment. It’s easy to view deep, concentrated work as the enemy of efficiency and multitasking. However, I firmly believe that deep work is essential for creating value in this world. Of course, some jobs may require more deep work than others. Leaders overseeing a grand vision or those responsible for safeguarding may need to be consistently connected and “pulling the strings,” so to speak. But that doesn’t mean they don’t also need to find moments for deep work. They simply need to be even more organised in carving out time for it.

It’s important to remember that every stimulus we encounter demands our attention and must be dealt with in some way. It’s alarming to think about how many stimuli we can potentially be exposed to in just 20 minutes. To illustrate this, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario involving two people: Person A and Person B. Person A is not consciously aware of their attention habits and may be more susceptible to distractions and the buildup of residue. On the other hand, Person B is actively aware of their attention habits and is working to reduce distractions and minimise residue.

Person A sits down and opens a blank document to begin their task. However, their attention is quickly diverted when they hear a ping indicating the arrival of an email. They read half of the email and respond before being interrupted by an instant message on a different topic. After responding to that message, they attempt to return to their task but find themselves struggling to remember what they were doing. Eventually, they remember and write the title. However, their focus is soon disrupted again by a colleague or classmate asking about the due date for a project. They respond before yet another email arrives, this one written like an essay that needs to be decoded. Feeling overwhelmed, they click back to the document to try to resume their work.

Person B recognises the importance of a distraction-free environment and takes steps to create one. They either go to a designated workspace that promotes focus or work in a space where there are established etiquette rules that encourage concentration. Next, they close their emails to prevent any notifications from popping up and distracting them. They also put their phone on silent to minimise any potential interruptions. With these distractions out of the way, Person B is able to begin their work and quickly gets into a state of flow. They create something of meaningful value and feel a sense of satisfaction in their accomplishment.

While this scenario may seem simplified, I have witnessed and experienced both Person A’s and Person B’s behaviours firsthand. My goal is to encourage more deep work and create more “Person B” moments, as the less residue that builds up in our minds throughout the day, the better. To achieve this, I will offer some solutions broken down into two sections: one for educators themselves, and the other for students (with educators playing a role in providing opportunities for deep work to their students). These proposals are based on my recent reflective practice and experience in this area but can be applied to a wide range of contexts.

For educators:

  • Educators should prioritise moments for deep work and be mindful of excessive distractions to produce higher-value and more meaningful work, while also boosting their overall well-being.
  • By being selective with the stimuli that you can control, you create the necessary space to address unexpected stimuli that are inherent to your role.
  • Educators should establish a collectively agreed-upon working etiquette, such as:
    • Writing emails that contain information clearly without redundant, repetitive, or unnecessary material.
    • Avoiding distracting colleagues by not interrupting them while they are engaged in deep work or being loud and inconsiderate in shared work areas.
  • Organisations should plan communication effectively so that educators are not overwhelmed with cognitive overload, and should refrain from “always switched on” communication models that encourage educators to set an email curfew.
  • The effectiveness of instant messaging models among colleagues is dubious, but if used, it should come with an attached etiquette.

For students:

  • Students should be explicitly taught how to limit distractions in both the classroom and at home. They should be encouraged to close email applications during lessons and only have relevant tabs open.
  • Their attention should be treated as extremely precious, and any stimuli they are exposed to should be carefully thought out with the aim of minimising residue and allowing for deep work.
  • Students should be taught mindfulness exercises with the aim of self-regulating their mental clarity, enabling them to remain focused during deep work.

As an educator, I’m concerned about the impact of excessive information on learners. The notion that “more is better” can lead to distractions and a lack of focus, which can hinder the learning process. Additionally, when we prioritise speed and coverage over depth, we miss out on the opportunity for deeper learning experiences.

A wise teacher once shared with me that “coverage is the enemy of learning,” and I believe this is particularly relevant in today’s information age. It’s easy to get caught up in the quantity of information available, without considering the quality.

That’s why I was inspired by Cal Newport’s book, Deep Work, which advocates for a more intentional and focused approach to learning. By removing unnecessary stimuli and embracing deep work, we can achieve better results and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

So, I’d like to ask you: what stimuli could be removed from your or your students’ daily routines to maximise the potential for deep work? Let’s start a conversation and explore ways to create a more productive and fulfilling learning environment.