The human attention span has gone through drastic changes in recent times. With the onset of digitalization, it has constantly reduced. In this blog, I am sharing 10 simple and healthy indoor activities that will help you improve your focus and widen your attention span.
The digital era has transformed our way of life. It has heavily reduced the human attention span. Gone are the days of sustained focus and maximum productivity.
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc. have conditioned your minds to engage for only 20-30 seconds.
According to neuroscientists, these short-form videos have reduced your attention span to 8 seconds, compared to 12 seconds in 2000.
However, it is still possible to reclaim your attention span. In this blog, we will explore a range of healthy indoor activities that are not only fun but will also help in improving your attention span.
Maximize Your Attention Span with these 10 Healthy Indoor Activities
Before we talk about the 12 indoor activities that can help you increase your attention span, here are a few science-backed facts that you must know.
5 Human Attention Span Facts You Must Know
- Your multitasking reduces your attention span by 40%.
- Your attention span can range between 2 seconds to 20 minutes.
- Most people have shorter attention spans while using their mobile phones.
- Your emotional involvement in a task significantly impacts your attention span.
- The human attention span (8.25 sec) has gone lower than that of a goldfish (9 sec) in the past 20 years.
These statistics on human attention span are not just alarming but they also show how your technology-driven lifestyle is getting affected by it.
Now, if you wish to improve your attention span, you know that it all begins with your lifestyle.
With these fun and healthy indoor activities, you can say goodbye to endless scrolling and say hello to a more productive and more attentive you.
Let’s get on the list.
1. Meditate to Cultivate Mindfulness
Many people confuse meditation with sitting idle in one place and doing nothing. But it is more than that. There are many ways you can meditate to reclaim your attention span like yoga, breathing exercises, and so on.
Meditation is the best way to regain your focus. It requires you to let your thoughts come and go and be in the present moment. Find yourself a calm and peaceful place. Close your eyes and focus on the movements in your body: your heartbeat, your breathing pattern, your eyebrow center, etc.
To enjoy the overall experience of a more spiritual touch, you can light aromatic candles. While this is a great activity to reclaim your focus, at the same time it also has healing power and many spiritual benefits.
2. Brain Boosting Puzzle
According to recent research, scrolling your phone all day causes your neuron cells to decay.
Your brain cells revive or build new connections with their neighboring cells when they are in continuous action or when you do something new or exciting. Being on your phone blocks these neural interactions.
To unlock this interaction, you can invest your time in activities like brain-boosting puzzles where you can challenge your brain and also enhance your problem-solving activity. By indulging yourself regularly in these activities, you can improve your attention span and cognitive function.
3. Reading Books
Engaging in books is not only an excellent pastime but it is also a very useful activity. Reading books requires your full attention and focus to understand whatever text is written on the pages. If you really want to process the given information you must be fully present and focused.
This will also train your brain to pay attention to other important things as well. According to neuroscientists, it is very important to read at least 15-20 minutes a day.
4. Paint/Draw to Unlock Your Creative Potential
Artistic activities like painting and drawing encourage your mindfulness and concentration as you completely immerse yourself in the creative process. Mindful drawing is a great way to calm your mind, improve your attention span, and make you more productive and happier.
Imagine a blank canvas in front of you. How will you feel if you fill the canvas with your imaginary world? A canvas that is decorated with different colors and shades that define your personality.
Once you are done with the painting/drawing you will instantly be hit by a wave of accomplishment. Even during the activity, you will find that your mind is fully engrossed in the activity and you may have no urge to do anything else.
5. Journaling to Express Your Thoughts
This one is my favorite activity and one that I have tried and tested so many times and each time I got the best results. More often than not, we end up in situations where we are totally unable to communicate with people around us.
In such situations, it is very important to vent out or pen down your thoughts. You can either do that on a piece of paper or use a journal for it. Write about the things that bother you a lot. Write about what you can do to solve that annoying situation.
Once you are done, you will notice how this activity declutters your mind. You will see how they will be able to focus on other things. It is not only important for a better attention span but also to relax and calm your mind.
4. Listen to Music
Music is the food for the soul and rightly so. When you tune into your favorite music, the noise inside you shuts down in an instant and you start focusing on the music and the lyrics.
Music activates both the left and right sides of the brain which also helps maximize learning and improves your memory.
5. Indoor Gardening
Gardening has great mental health benefits and it affects the overall wellbeing. This indoor activity also helps in improving your concentration.
Several studies have suggested that spending time in nature is great for reducing stress, boosting your concentration and creativity, and also in increasing your attention span.
Indoor gardening allows you to nurture and care for the plants and also provides you the chance to take a much-needed break from the chaos of life and focus on your thoughts.
6. Declutter and Organize Your Living Spaces
I recently read a book called, “Make Your Bed” and it perfectly explains how small everyday habits contribute to your peaceful mind and life.
When you do small things like making your bed, cleaning your room, or organizing your study table, you take the load off your mind. A clean and tidy space helps you to stay focused by clearing your mind.
7. Learn a New Skill and Challenge Yourself
Recently I have started learning German. I assign myself a specific time in the evening and set a goal of learning 5-10 new German words or phrases.
It’s not like I always meet my daily challenges but whatever I get done in that set time frame, it gives me an instant confidence boost. I get done with my other tasks with new enthusiasm and focus.
Learning a new skill also increases your brain plasticity which eventually helps in activating new brain cells. This not only plays a huge role in improving your memory but also increases your attention span.
8. Cooking
Cooking is another great way of staying clear and focused. Whenever I have to do some important writing/reading assignments and my mind just races back and forth instead of staring at the blank screen or sitting idly I just go to my kitchen.
I then find myself a nice and simple recipe on YouTube and I start cooking. This not only helps me in preparing my own healthy diet but also keeps me focused during and even after the cooking session.
9. Relaxing Baths
A long warm bath with soothing scents like eucalyptus or lavender is actually quite beneficial in clearing and relaxing your mind. It is the best way to recharge yourself and rejuvenate your mind from physical tiredness. Both these things ultimately work towards improving your attention span.
10. Take a Nap
Sleep deprivation can easily disrupt your concentration, not to mention other cognitive functions like attention and memory.
It is okay to have occasional sleep deprivation but if you are regularly failing to have a good sleep then it can hurt your mood and overall performance.
Not getting enough sleep and being too tired are harmful to your reflexes. It hinders your ability to think clearly and function properly.
Experts always suggest getting almost 7-8 hours of quality sleep for a healthy body. Sufficient sleep recharges your body and mind. This improves your overall well-being and you can do your job with full concentration without getting distracted.
Conclusion
The digital age has drastically shrunk your attention span. The continuous presence of technology in your life has minimized your attention span and it has got you into the distraction loop more than ever before.
In such alarming times, it is important to take some time from your busy schedule to do some healthy indoor activities. They don’t just improve your attention span but also add to your overall well-being.
Irrespective of what you choose from the above list, I hope you will prioritize these activities over your ever-growing screen time. Remember, by choosing these activities over your gadgets, you also choosing a preventative and healthy lifestyle for yourself.
So from now on say goodbye to the continuous war of distraction and say hello to these healthy activities to unlock your full attention potential.
