If you have read our other articles about productivity in a remote set-up, you surely realised that most of the strategies were aiming at how to become a better custodian of your attentional space. In addition to managing it more deliberately, you can also increase the size of your attentional space
To recap, the size of your attentional space is determined by “working memory capacity.” This is a cognitive psychology term referring to how many pieces of data you can hold in your mind simultaneously. The greater your working memory capacity, the more information you can hold at the same time, and the greater your ability to process complex tasks.
Benefits of expanding your attentional space
Let’s have a look at the benefits of expanding your attentional space. There are quite a few:- Allows you to take on more complex tasks
- Reduced mind wandering when you’re focused on complex tasks
- When your mind does wander, it actually wanders more productively
- You’ll be more likely you are to think about—and plan for—the future
- Extra attention to think about what you’ll work on next, while keeping your original intention in mind
- Easier to get back on track after your mind wanders or you become distracted