Mind Mint: Who wants to go deep?

Some of the smartest people on earth are designing ways to get us to engage with their apps, websites, and games more frequently and for longer periods of time. They’re succeeding. As a result, our brains are being rewired to crave frequent distraction.

A growing body of research suggests that we need periods of uninterrupted attention to do our best work. Each time we check Facebook, Twitter, email, or text notifications, our attention is pulled away. Experts suggest that it can take up to 20 minutes to get back into a zone of focus.
 
After hearing a podcast featuring Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, I decided to give his methods a try. Specifically, I’ll be following the 3 suggestions outlined in this article:

• scheduling blocks of uninterrupted time for “deep work”
• deleting Facebook and Twitter from my phone
• checking email only at pre-designated times 

With any luck, you’ll be seeing deeper, more thoughtful (yet still short) Mind Mints soon!