3 Books to Hold Your Attention

If there’s something we can all agree on is the fact that even thought things are easier to do it seems like nowadays we get less done. We have more tools to complete tasks, smart phones, smart home assistants, smart headphones, just add the word smart to anything and it automatically becomes a tool to make your life and work easier. Yet when was the last time you finished anything? It just seems that no matter how spartan our surroundings are, there as just too many distractions around us, making our attention something that’s literary monetizable. So what can we do? Move to the loneliest house in the world? (It’s a great YouTube video you should watch it after you’ve finished this post) If you don’t want to spend a few weeks living alone in a house without wifi, internal pluming and hot water then here are three books that will allow you to work on your attention span.

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Inulgence by Anna Lembke

In this book the author goes to great lengths to explain what is dopamine and how it’s holding our brain hostage. Your read that right, we’ve been kidnapped by the sense of reward that our super smart world has suddenly been designed to cater to. Those notifications on your phone? They’re designed to give you a hormonal release of pleasure when you attend to it. They’re also designed to give you a sense of pain when you feel or hear your phone ringing and can’t answer. Have you ever felt that in the movies? Or during a hot date? Ever get that anxious feeling when you leave your phone in another room? Even if it’s silent? Like you’re missing on the latest news. Yeah, that’s a dopamine withdrawal. Thankfully this book not only gives you great explanations on what long term overuse of dopamine can cause yo your brain but also how to control your impulses regarding your withdrawal from dopamine.

The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex and Creativity by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michale E. Long

As illustrated in “Dopamine Nation”, dopamine is the hormone that continuously asks for more. Is the hormone that nags us to get that chocolate cake but once the plate is clean is the same hormone that makes us regret our indulgence. Is the hormone that makes us obsessed with that thing we saw at the mall, but the novelty wears off once we get home and we’re left wonder if we wanted it in the first place? In order words, Dopamine is a bitch. Is the hormone that is more interested in getting something – anything as long as it’s new. This book, even though it’s not a beach read, has been one of the most enlightening books that has been able to explain why we act the way we do toward new things and how to curve that want. The audiobook can be found on Scribd. 

Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention by Amishi P. Jha 

In this book claimed neuroscientist Dr. Amishi explains her life’s work: how to hold your attention in an increasingly distracted world. And before you say “Victoria, that sounds exactly like the first two books.” Is because its topic, attention and how to garner it back, is not something that’s exclusive to dopamine. In this book Dr. Amishi tries to path the way to get control of your attention by giving you simple daily 12 minute exercises to rewire your brain and your attention. They’re easy to adapt exercises that can be done anywhere. Tired of always having a to do list that seems to never expand? Give this book and its daily exercises a try.