13 Questions To Ask When Your Attention Has Been Hacked

How do you reclaim your attention in a world built to steal it? 

Lately, I've noticed more and more people in my circle are being diagnosed with attention disorders.

It could be a coincidence, but it is happening almost weekly.

I get it. We live in a world where focusing feels almost impossible–but is this truly a disorder of the mind, or is it a symptom of our culture?

A friend told me recently that their doctor described their symptoms as "focusing too much, and not being able to focus enough."

Apart from that being a really confusing diagnosis, it made me wonder–where should we be directing our attention these days, and how do we manage to protect it in this ever-advancing attention economy?

What's clear to me, is that our environment isn't helping. With constant notifications, social media and the pressure to always be "on", it's no wonder our focus feels fractured.

What if it's not that we are broken–but rather that we are becoming byproducts of a world that is built to keep us distracted. And that to create change, we must listen to and learn from the signals we receive from our hacked attention by asking questions like:

1. what piece of technology do I own that really owns me?

2. am I using busyness as an excuse to avoid deeper, meaningful work or connections? 

3. when do I become most bored and distracted? (hint: boredom is the sweet spot of change)

4. what am I spending too much time doing and not enjoying?

5. what excuse am I creating to justify the time spent doing things I don't enjoy?

6. what activities bring me the most fulfillment, and how often am I prioritizing them?

7. what do I gain when I multitask instead of focus on one thing deeply?

8. am I truly resting when I take breaks, or just shifting my attention elsewhere? 

9. how does the content I consume impact my mood, focus, and motivation throughout the day? 

10. what boundaries can I set to create more space for deep work and flow? 

11. what would happen if I gave myself permission to disconnect and do nothing?

12. what would I create if I didn’t feel the need to rush or multitask?

13. what small, mindful changes can I make to reclaim my focus and attention daily?