TRANSCRIPT FROM VIDEO:
Another tip for how to help you focus better when you're trying to learn something, this is specifically for, let's say, reading an article or a book or reading something from your screen is... interestingly, your mental focus follows your visual focus.
This is again based on some neuroscience principles.
The technique is that, let's say you've been reading this book, and then you notice...you know when you read words, and then you read like a paragraph, and you have no idea what you just read? But somehow you’ve been reading this whole time? This is when you're gonna use this technique.
What you want to do is start to focus your visual attention first.
Basically, when you notice that, “This is not happening, I can't focus,” you want to actually focus your eye on one point in your visual field, so let's say, on one word in that book.
And you want to just focus like that, and legit try to not blink, if you can, for 30 seconds to a minute. And you only want to just focus on that one spot.
So again, focusing your visual field on one word on that screen (or that paper or that book) for 30 seconds to a minute.
If you have to blink, fine, blink. I literally tried this, and my eyes are so dry, I couldn't hold it for 30 seconds. But if you can, that's great!
The longer you can hold your gaze, the better focused you can be. And actually, people train themselves to be able to do this more and more so you're hardcore you can do that, too.
Anyway, if you find yourself that you are not able to focus on reading a book or anything; focus your eye on one spot for 30 seconds to a minute, and then go back to reading. And, you should be able to focus a bit better.
And again, if you do it once and doesn't work, like, of course it’s not going to work, you did it one time.
So try to do this every time you want to focus or if you find your mind wandering and you're not thinking about it anymore. Notice that, stop yourself, bring yourself back, and stare at one spot for 30 seconds to a minute, and then continue learning.
So try this tip out from neuroscience, and see if you can focus better, and share with me.
For the full info on this, check out the Hubermanlab podcast #6 How to Focus to Change Your Brain ▶️ Youtube 🎧 Podcast
👁 Official start at 53:30 How to Focus
👁 But he gets deeper into the mechanisms of this at 56:40 Seeing Your Way to Mental Focus
👁 Dr. Huberman trains himself to blink less to focus more as discussed at 1:02:59 Blinking
👁 Bonus on why it’s best to listen with your eyes closed at 1:05:30