Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey Summary

Santwana Mohanty

4 years ago

The author of the book Chris Bailey noticed a behavior of him that made him uncomfortable.

He says that his life had become a series of screens

First thing in the morning he did was look at his phone for putting off the alarm, next he would scroll through social media, emails etc.

While cooking he would use another screen i.e. I Pad for reference to cook.

Then he would use the laptop for his work purpose. Also looked at the screen of the smart watch he possessed repeatedly.

While doing important work the different gadgets buzzed often disturbed the author’s mind on focusing.

The greatest distraction of all the gadgets was the phone. So he decided to cut off the using of phone for 30 days, not completely but only limiting the time of usage.

He used his phone only 30 minutes a day

The practice helped him focus like a pro, not immediately but gradually (This is known as the low level of stimulation). It took a week for him to adjust in this stimulation.

It helped him develop new ideas and plans for his life. The benefit he experienced just by using one device in limit.

He searched for the reason and contacted with several researchers, researched a lot. In an outcome the author wrote a research paper of 25,000 words whose title was “How technology is affecting our ability to focus”?

The research proved that if a person works on a computer by keeping his/her phone by the side of the system then one is able to focus on a particular work only for 40 seconds.

One has the conception all these happens due to distraction but the author says actually one’s mind is not distracted, it is only over stimulated (over excited). One’s brain continuously wants to do multitasking and switch to multiple works at a time for example one wants to check how many likes and comments one has got in social media, one wants to react to memes etc.

The fact is one’s mind likes to be distracted because by the distraction it releases dopamine which is a chemical release that results in ecstasy and gives a good feeling in one’s mind and body.

This is the same dopamine release when we eat junk food, watch movies, use social media, party and stuffs.

The author in the book Hyperfocus pens that if the high stimulation state is converted to low stimulated state then one can achieve focus and be away from the gadgets for a long. This will develop new ideas, thoughts and plans for the future.

There is something between the high stimulation and low stimulation state. It is Boredom. If one makes himself/herself bored then he/she can achieve the goals.

The great author Thomas Mann got several great ideas while walking. Author says if one deliberately allows the thoughts to travel in different directions then it gives new ideas.

Thoughts come clearly while on walk

One must bore oneself once in a while just by sitting or by walking or by anything he/she likes. This increases the focus and gives rise to different plans.

Author advices the readers in the book Hyperfocus to

Take challenge for two weeks to limit the use of the gadgets and then notice the changes in you.
Do a disconnection ritual in the evening. Author’s everyday ritual is to cut off from the internet use from 8pm to 8am. Every weekend he and her fiancé disconnect from digital world and connect to physical world.
Experience boredom daily. May be at least for 20 minutes a day. Relax quietly and observe where your mind goes.