Attention Takes Practice | How to Build Focus Over Time

How to improve attention span comes down to practice: you train attention the way you would train a muscle, starting small and building up over time. In this short video, Dr. Leysa Cerswell, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, explains why that training belongs on ordinary, calm days, so the skill is ready when you are upset and need it most.

Key takeaways

• Attention works like a muscle. In Dr. Cerswell's words, "if I want to be able to use it, I need to practice."
• Start small. You would not walk into the gym after months away and lift the heaviest weight, because "that's just going to pull a muscle."
• Build the skill when you are in a neutral or good mood, not only when you are struggling.
• The payoff comes in hard moments: when you are about to "burst into an argument," a trained attention helps you calm down and see a thought as "just a thought and not an act."

What Dr. Leysa Cerswell says

"We can think of our attention as a muscle," Dr. Cerswell says. That framing changes the goal. Attention is something you build, and like any strength, it grows gradually.

She uses the gym to make the point. If you have not lifted in months, you don't start with "a very, very heavy weight." You build up. Attention is the same. Trying to force deep focus in the middle of a crisis is like attempting a max lift on day one.

That is why she recommends practicing "in my day-to-day life where I'm not distressed," when you are in "a neutral or a good mood." The calm reps are what make the hard moments possible. Then, when you are really distressed, you can "access that muscle," calm yourself down, and recognize a passing thought for what it is before you act on it.

Why is my attention span so short?

There is rarely one cause. Stress, poor sleep, constant notifications and switching between tasks can all make focus harder. When your day is full of interruptions, staying with one thing can start to feel uncomfortable, simply because you get so little practice at it.

The encouraging part is that the reverse also seems to be true. In a randomized controlled study, a two-week mindfulness training course reduced mind wandering and improved working memory and reading-comprehension test scores, especially for people who were easily distracted at the start (Mrazek et al., Psychological Science). That fits Dr. Cerswell's point: attention responds to training.

How to train your attention in daily life

You don't need a long session to start. Pick one small rep and repeat it on easy days:

• Do one ordinary task, like washing a mug or walking to your car, with your full attention. When your mind drifts, notice it and come back.
• Take a short pause between tasks instead of reaching for your phone. Our guide to micro-breaks that improve focus has simple ideas.
• Build some screen-free time into your week. Here is what happens when you unplug from screens and plug into nature.
• When you catch yourself getting heated, try one breath and the reminder that a thought is just a thought.

The point is consistency, not intensity. Small, regular practice builds the muscle you will lean on later.

Video transcript

Transcript (lightly edited for reading):

We can think of our attention as a muscle. And like any muscle, if I want to be able to use it, I need to practice. I need to build it. I need to practice, starting small and building up that strength. I'm not going to try going to the gym if I haven't been there in months and going over and picking up a very, very heavy weight. That's just going to pull a muscle. Rather, I want to gradually increase that muscle, be able to do it in my day-to-day life where I'm not distressed, where I'm just practicing, where I'm in a neutral or a good mood, building up that skill. And then when I'm really distressed, when I'm about to burst into an argument or something, being able to calm myself down, to access that muscle, to know that it is just a thought and not an act coming to my mind.

Common questions

Do I have ADHD or just a short attention span?

Everyone loses focus sometimes. ADHD is different: NIMH describes it as "a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity" that makes it hard to function in at least two areas of life, such as home, school or work, with symptoms that start in childhood (NIMH). Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose it, so if focus problems are affecting your daily life, talk to one.

How do I fix my lack of focus?

Start with the basics: sleep, fewer interruptions, and one task at a time. Then add short, regular attention practice on calm days, the way Dr. Cerswell describes. Expect gradual progress, not an overnight fix.

Does ADHD lower your attention span?

Inattention is one of the core features of ADHD, as the NIMH description above shows, and it shows up across settings rather than only on a stressful day. Attention habits like the ones in this video can help anyone, but they don't replace an evaluation or treatment for ADHD.

Can meditation improve attention span?

Meditation is one structured way to do the training Dr. Cerswell describes, because each time you notice your mind has wandered and bring it back, you complete one rep. For a practice built around that idea, watch the related video below.

About the expert: Dr. Leysa Cerswell holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and is a faculty member at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies. She is a co-founder of WE Well-being and the author of The Well-Being Playbook.

Related: Meditation with Purpose: Build Awareness & Attention