Saved by Katrin Davidson and
How to Pay Attention Again
nd yet . At the end of the day, attention is still ours. No matter how many forces try to seize it, shape it, or sell it - our attention begins and ends with us. We are the only ones who can reclaim it. That’s our responsibility. And that’s also our power.
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
Attention is presence. And presence isn’t just powerful, it can be radical. In a world where attention is monetized, captured, and manipulated - reclaiming it is an act of resistance.
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
The brain starts defaulting to easier modes: autopilot, mindless scrolling, zoning out. Not necessarily because we’re weak or lazy; our neural pathways are simply adapting to what we repeat the most.
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
However, high stimulation over time leads to desensitization. The more novelty you consume (think how much content you consume in just 5 mins of doomscrolling), the more you need to feel engaged. Everything else (reading a book, sitting still, writing an email) starts to feel slow, boring, uncomfortable even.
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
When something new pops up (a notification, a headline, a banner), your dopamine system lights up. And dopamine isn’t just about pleasure; it’s about anticipation . In other words, it’s the thrill of what might be next that hooks you.
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
Attention has become a currency. Every platform, ad, and algorithm is designed to compete for it. Not just to catch our eye, but to keep it. And they’re really, really good at it.
This loss of agency over our own attention that many of us are experiencing is not about willpower. It’s about neuroscience:
This loss of agency over our own attention that many of us are experiencing is not about willpower. It’s about neuroscience:
yana yuhai • How to Pay Attention Again
actually train your attention. your focus doesn’t need to be fixed, it needs consistent practice. read for 5 minutes, journal for 10, watch this and do nothing but watch. let it be small. let it be enough. little moments of sustained attention build a stronger foundation than any “dopamine detox" ever could!