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Our attention span seems to be getting shorter and shorter. There is so much stimulus constantly happening around us, so many distractions. We’re getting our information from more sources than ever. And we are participating in more forms of entertainment than ever before. Even though the world is still reopening from everything being shut down, I can honestly say that keeping my attention on anything for extended periods of time has been a struggle. So, learning how to increase attention span has become a big part of my experimental and research life.
Without fail though, I continue to go back to breathwork being the best. I’ve been practicing breathwork for years now, and it’s tough to say that anything else gets me to focus like a little breathwork. Even just thirty seconds of intentional breathing throughout the day. Beyond all the benefits that it provides your mind and body, learning how to increase attention span is another benefit of breathwork that deserves its own blog post.
Get this — researchers at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and the Global Brain Health Institute found some pretty cool stuff. We read over on the Science Daily website, based on the study I mentioned, focused breathing affects levels of noradrenaline, a natural brain chemical messenger. This is the stuff that gets released into your bloodstream when you are curious, focused, or emotionally activated. It helps you boost focus, sustain concentration, and maintain alertness and motivation.
How to increase attention span with breathwork is one of the most powerful (and free) tools that you have to improve so much of your life. Breathwork helps to manage your stress, develop optimal health, and guide you in spiritual advancement. Now, there’s the thing. When you’re stressed, you produce waaaay too much of that noradrenaline stuff, which makes it realllllly hard for you to focus, and oftentimes makes you feel lethargic.
Do you ever get that midday feeling where you think you just need more coffee? Or you’ve lost all your ability to focus on anything that actually matters? I totally understand and the only thing that I found (aside from an absurd amount of coffee — which I don’t even drink anymore), is utilizing breathwork.
The researchers who put together the study looked at the breathing patterns of study participants and found that “participants who focused well while undertaking a task that demanded a lot of attention had greater synchronization between their breathing patterns and their attention than those who had poor focus.” The authors of the study believed that it may be possible to use breath control techniques as a way to increase attention span and boost brain health — and so do I.
Honestly, breathwork has been the sole thing in my life to bring me an incredible amount of energy, joy, focus, and has helped me develop my intuition. Learning how to increase attention span with breathwork can help you refocus your brain and experience calm. If you want to get some breathwork into your life, I’m linking our Free Pause Breathwork audio session below for ya. I think you’ll see what all the hype is after you try.