re-stretching my attention span ⏳

gotta get that old thing back

Author

Anastazia Neely
August 26, 2026

re-stretching my attention span ⏳

August 26, 2026 • Issue No. 43

I am not a doctor. I am not a researcher. And despite my master’s degree in environmental science (and public policy), I am not a scientist. What I’m about to say isn’t supported by large groups of people or data. My study is a sample size of 1 — just me. I am one woman trying my best to take note of how societal and personal changes have impacted my work and resisting when and where I can.

Attention span. It’s mentioned in many a headline as something that’s decreasing rapidly and leaving us worse off. I was shocked when my aesthetician mentioned that there are entire movies on YouTube in 2x speed, shaved down to just the most essential plot points, so you can feel like you’ve watched the film…without taking the time to do so.

On long form social media videos, it’s not uncommon for commenters to leave notes like “I know my attention span isn’t broken because I watched this all the way through”…on a 2 ½ minute video with animated captions.

I, too, feel the pull of distraction when I’m catching up with friends, watching a television show, reading, cleaning my house, writing an email, or working on a slideshow. I remember when I used to be able to focus and I am determined to return to that point.

Re-stretching my attention span is important to me because I want to be fully present for my clients, friends, and family when we’re in conversation. I also know that my best ideas are often not my first ones, but the ones that spring from marination, extended focus, perspective-taking (something I like to call “turning it around in my mind”) and that, too, requires sustained attention.

Here’s what I’ve been doing to stretch that thang back out.

One activity at a time.

I used to love listening to podcasts while I cook. But I wasn’t always listening and I was often messing up the recipes. That’s the thing about multi-tasking, you may be tackling multiple tasks, but you’re usually not doing any of the tasks well. I also liked watching TV and playing games on my iPad and listening to TikToks while I washed my face. Pretty soon, this resulted in my brain thinking that conversation is background noise. When I found myself talking to someone on the phone in real-life, I’d feel a restless urge to do another thing at the same time. So that’s out. I’m trying to do one thinking activity at a time. If I’m cooking a new recipe that requires concentration, sound has to be low, off, or familiar (like a favorite music album). If I’m watching TV, I’m all in. If I’m feeling distracted, I can pause the show and pursue the thought or allow for the possibility that this show just doesn’t grip me (and choose a new one).

Waiting.

To be clear, I hate lines and I don’t like standing in them — so this is not that kind of waiting. It’s more like, when you’re riding the train waiting to arrive at your destination, or you’re in the conference room but the meeting hasn’t started yet, or the webpage on your device is loading quite slowly. Waiting used to a natural part of life (my god, remember dial-up?!) but now any sort of pause in the action usually triggers the habit of checking your phone. I’m trying to get comfortable with being in-between activities or events. And I’ve found that not only do I see/notice a lot more by looking around instead of at my phone, but I’m generating more interesting thoughts for projects I’m working on. The next strategy is about where those thoughts go.

Remembering.

When I was working 60+ hour weeks, I had to write everything down or something would slip through the cracks. I got into the habit of relying on my brain for decision-making and idea generation and using recording tools (calendar, voice notes, sticky notes, planner, emails) for information recall. The system was ideal for work, it meant people could count on me to deliver what I said I would. However, outside of work, I found myself needing the same tools as I slowly lost practice with the ability to store anything in my memory. Now, I’m trying — in low stakes ways — to build my remembering back up. For instance, when I have to copy a phone number or address from one window to another, I’ll read it to myself and try to remember it instead of copy/pasting. If I can’t remember the whole thing, I go back and look at it again until I’ve got all the parts. Sometimes it takes an embarrassing amount of lookbacks, but I eventually get it. When I’m going to a new destination in the city, I’ll look up the directions before I leave my house and try to commit them to memory. If I get turned around on the way, I can look them up again on my phone, but I don’t need to check and re-check at every train stop to be certain I haven’t missed my station. I’ve been reciting my friends’ birthdays to myself so I’m not always checking my calendar or address book. These are things I used to be able to do with ease and I’d like to be able to do them again. 

In surface ways, these small practices slow me down. I’d certainly get a lot more podcast listening done if I let them play all day while working on other things. But in deeper ways, I find I’m better able to be in the moment and I am starting to remember things again. My attention span — your attention span — isn’t broken, it’s adapted. It’s sped up to keep up with the pace of information now, but there’s no reason why our attention spans can’t have a few different speed settings from which to choose.

I don’t know the brain science behind any of what I’m sharing with you, but it’s all come down to noticing what’s gotten harder in recent years and practicing exactly the thing that feels hard. In my experience playing sports, learning new skills, and educating children, doing the hard part is the only way you actually get better. I don’t want a smooth life to leave me with a smooth brain. I want the folds and creases and synapses of a life well-lived and well-thought. I want to be in charge of what’s going on in there: only if I master my own mind, can I do anything I set my mind to. 💎 

talk to me

Write me an email, leave a comment, or save these for your journal

  • How would you describe the state of your attention span? How, if at all, has it changed over time?

  • When is it hard for you to focus? When is it a breeze?

  • What have you tried to re-stretch your attention? What else could you implement?

I’ll remind you about the upcoming Autumn Equinox in every issue.

  • 🧑🏾‍🌾 ☀️ Let’s get goal farming JOYFULLY! You’re 10 weeks in and there are 3 to go! Have fun with it!

I’d love your feedback on The Sparkle Sheet as I re-strategize this season

  • If you have any ideas about what you’d like to see, what parts you want to stay the same, and what aspects have never ~vibed~ for you, I hope you’ll chime in. Just send me an email! 💕

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The Sparkle Sheet is a newsletter publication written and created by Anastazia Neely, founder of Executive Radiance. Executive Radiance, LLC provides coaching and leadership development remotely and in-person in New York City.