Reflections on my own attention

In the last few years I have noticed a clear decline of my attention span. Every time I find myself trying to focus on something, my mind goes to a completely different place, and I loose my focus just seconds after starting thinking. I am aware this is known, and while multiple alternatives and fixes are provided, I do not find any of them suitable for me.

I am a machine learning scientist, thus, I am glued to my screen for several hours a day. Usually, we have to solve complex problems, that require some deep thinking (not always) which can be draining. Of course, my brain prefers to reach out for my phone before having to really put some thought into something, and do some mental work. This is something that do not happen to me when I am doing physical activities (or at least it is not that detrimental). If I am at the climbing gym, I do not have the need to reach out my phone and start scrolling, or to look what’s new in Hacker News.

Thus, I need to find my own way of creating a physically stimulating environment while I am working on hard problems so even if I feel bored and in the need to get some amusement, I can go back to what I am doing, without having to rely on external inputs.

A long way to go!