logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
1h 9m

REWIND: Why you can't focus: Johann Hari

Simon Mundie
About this episode

So many of us are struggling to focus and pay attention to what we need to. It can feel like a moral failing – as if there is something wrong with us individually. But Johann Hari argues that is not the case. The problem runs much deeper.

Teenagers now focus on one task for only 65 seconds he says, while office workers aren’t much better – managing only three minutes.

It won’t surprise you to hear that digital has a significant role to play – after all, how many people don’t have a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with their phones?

But there are other factors too – including 'surveillance capitalism' and even the way childhood freedom has been curtailed.

Johann’s book is called Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention.

WARNING: This episode contains swearing and some adult themes.

**

Follow me:


on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/

on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundie


And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from three years and over 170 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com

Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated.


***

Finally, a huge thanks to my sponsors, Puresport. Their range of CBD and Nootropics supplements have had a significant impact on how I sleep, manage stress, and focus throughout the day. I can’t recommend them enough.


CBD has been shown to have benefits for anxiety, inflammation, aches and pains - and it may even be good for long term brain and heart health. And anything that helps keep me well in the long-term rather than having to fix lots of niggles once they arrive gets the thumbs up from me. Combined with their supplements range, Puresport are paving the way in the natural wellness market.


Frankly, if nothing else, you have to try their Unwind Oil before bed. You’ll sleep like a baby. The good news is that you can get 20% off with code Life20 at checkout. Head to puresportcbd.com and enjoy!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 7
Beyond Biohacking: The Spiritual Freedom and Forgiveness Journey – Dave Asprey
Dave Asprey — the father of biohacking — joins me for a deep dive into the hidden operating system that runs the human mind and body. In this conversation, we explore how biohacking can be a doorway to something much bigger: real spiritual awareness, freedom from old survival pat ... Show More
59m 38s
Jul 4
Biohacking Your Intuition: Dave Asprey
Dave Asprey — best known as the godfather of biohacking — shares how our bodies pick up reality before our minds do, and why learning to trust that quiet signal is such an untapped edge. From his journey as a sceptical computer scientist to becoming a pioneer in wellness, Dave ta ... Show More
8m 55s
Jun 30
Beyond Thought: A Journey from Prison to Presence - Matt Tenney
Matt Tenney has clocked well over 10,000 hours of meditation. He’s also a leadership coach working with some of the biggest companies in the US. But his journey started in a very different place — as a military officer facing decades in prison. It was during that time, especially ... Show More
1h 40m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
#228 Johann Hari on How To Reclaim Your Attention
CAUTION: Contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. Why have we lost our ability to focus? What are the causes? And, most importantly, how do we get it back? Today’s guest and author of the brilliant new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, went on a three-year ... Show More
2h 37m
Apr 2023
#193 Why you can’t focus with Johann Hari
Warning: Today’s episode contains strong languageI’m chatting with Johann Hari today, the international bestselling author of ‘Chasing the Scream’, ‘Lost Connections’ and the latest book ‘Stolen Focus’. Today’s conversation is fascinating. I often find myself opening tabs and not ... Show More
1h 22m
Feb 2022
Johann Hari On Why You Can’t Pay Attention (& How To Reclaim Your Focus)
We are living in a time of upgraded technology and downgraded humans. Our collective ability to resist distraction and sustain attention is in decline. Although will power plays a role, this problem is not entirely our fault—it’s the by-product of powerful forces incident to mode ... Show More
2h 20m
Feb 2022
Johann Hari On Why You Can’t Pay Attention (& How To Reclaim Your Focus)
We are living in a time of upgraded technology and downgraded humans.Our collective ability to resist distraction and sustain attention is in decline.Although will power plays a role, this problem is not entirely our fault—it’s the by-product of powerful forces incident to modern ... Show More
2h 23m
Jan 2022
Johann Hari on Stolen Focus and Attention
Johann Hari is a writer and journalist. He has written for the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, and other newspapers and his TED talks have been viewed over seventy million times. His work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah Winfrey to Noam Chomsky to J ... Show More
1h 3m
Jan 2022
#418 - Johann Hari - Why You Can't Pay Attention And Focus
Johann Hari is a writer & a journalist.You probably struggle to focus on the task you're doing. You probably wish that you could pay attention for longer and that you were less easily distracted. Why is this such a common problem? Is this a byproduct of the modern era? Technology ... Show More
1h 53m
Jan 2022
How To Fix Your Focus & Stop Procrastinating: Johann Hari
Johann Hari is a journalist and author of Lost Connections, a book which changed the way I think about depression and mental health. His new book, Stolen Focus, is about what people can do in order to improve their focus, and about what we can all do to stop our attention being r ... Show More
1h 39m
Mar 2022
The DAILY HACKS To Improve Sleep, PREVENT DISEASE & Live Longer! | Roger Seheult
For most of us, when we think of melatonin, the first thing we think of is “a chemical to make you feel sleepy”.And while it’s true that melatonin plays a critical role in governing our circadian rhythm, it turns out that melatonin is also one of the most powerful antioxidants pr ... Show More
1 h
May 2022
Johann Hari | Why You Can’t Pay Attention (and how to get it back)
I’ve come to believe that the quality and richness of our lives is, in no small part, determined by the depth and quality of our attention. If it’s massively distracted, perpetually spinning out, and focused on negativity, that will also largely be the state of our lives, regardl ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2022
Why You Can’t Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- What is it about modern life that is completely disrupting our ability to focus, and how much of it is our fault?    Turns out, not a lot. A number of factor ... Show More
1h 19m