What exactly is focus?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What we do in everyday life focus<\/em> From a scientific point of view, what we call \u2026 consists of various attention processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to be able to select relevant information and temporarily set other information aside. Sometimes you need to keep your focus on the same task for a longer period of time. At other times, you need to be able to adapt quickly when the situation changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those two qualities seem to be opposites, but we need both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among other things, researchers discuss cognitive stability<\/strong>: the ability to stay focused on a goal, and cognitive flexibility<\/strong>: the ability to change strategy or task when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, good focus doesn\u2019t mean that your attention never shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this context, \u2018attention\u2019 is something different from neuroplasticity<\/strong>:<\/a> the brain\u2019s ability to adapt through experience and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It means that she can be both stable and flexible at the right moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s tempting to blame our phones, emails and notifications for a lack of focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can certainly interrupt us. But even in a quiet room without a telephone, our attention doesn\u2019t remain constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In research into sustained attention<\/strong> \u2014 maintaining sustained attention over a longer period \u2014 scientists have observed that performance can fluctuate during a task. Furthermore, in the case of prolonged attention tasks, performance may decline, a phenomenon that is often referred to as the decrease in vigilance<\/em> is mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly why this happens is still the subject of research. Motivation, workload, cognitive control and mind-wandering all appear to play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why there is no scientific rule stating, for example, that you can concentrate for exactly 20, 45 or 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attention is not a timer that runs out after a set number of minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re reading a page and suddenly realise you\u2019ve no idea what was in the last paragraph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your eyes scanned the words, but at the same time you were thinking about this evening, a conversation you\u2019d had yesterday or something you still had to sort out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is what researchers call mind-wandering<\/strong>: your attention shifts from the task you are working on to thoughts arising in your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that isn\u2019t necessarily a sign that you have trouble concentrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mind-wandering is common and appears to be part of how our attention normally functions. Whilst it can be disruptive whilst carrying out a task, internal thinking can also be linked to, for example, planning for the future and reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The aim, therefore, need not be to never stray from the path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more interesting is what happens when your attention drifts elsewhere \u2014 and how easily you return to it afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In ADHD, attention regulation and distractibility can play a different role. In our in-depth look at microdosing and ADHD<\/strong> b<\/a>We\u2019ll take a closer look at what the research on this subject reveals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well as letting our minds wander spontaneously, there is another way in which we constantly shift our attention: we swap roles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back to writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WhatsApp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research into task switching<\/em> shows that such a switch can entail cognitive costs. In experiments, when people switch tasks or change the rules of a task, they generally respond more slowly and\/or make more mistakes than when they continue to perform the same task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When such a change occurs, other task rules and information must be prioritised once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That doesn\u2019t mean that adapting is a bad thing. In fact, being able to adapt flexibly is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Changing gears unnecessarily often is not the same as being flexible when the situation calls for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also another interesting phenomenon to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researcher Sophie Leroy introduced the term for this attention residue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we stop one task and move on to the next, our attention may still be partially focused on what we were doing before. Leroy\u2019s research suggests that this is particularly likely to happen when we switch tasks whilst our attention is still focused on the previous task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019re back working on your document, but you\u2019re still thinking about that email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or perhaps you\u2019re cooking, whilst in your mind you\u2019re still finishing that conversation at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That raises the question \u201cWhat am I doing?\u201d<\/em> suddenly more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because just because you\u2019re physically doing one task doesn\u2019t automatically mean that all your attention is on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If attention naturally fluctuates, wanders and has to switch focus, a lack of focus is not automatically a lack of discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also help her by changing the circumstances in which she has to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of responding to every stimulus immediately, you can make your transitions more deliberate. Finish whatever you can, make a note of where you left off when you have to stop, and group together small tasks such as emails wherever possible. That way, your attention won\u2019t have to switch context unexpectedly as often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That can be surprisingly simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every incoming stimulus needs to immediately become a new task. Consciously completing a task or setting it aside can make the transition to the next task clearer. Longer periods without unnecessary interruptions reduce the number of times you have to switch tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also sleep<\/a>, and\u00a0recovery following periods of stress and strain<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>These factors matter, as does the environment in which you\u2019re trying to focus. After all, your attention isn\u2019t separate from the rest of your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But perhaps the most important change is the way we view focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not as something you have to keep up at full intensity all day long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as a dynamic process of aim, hold, release, change gear and return<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes it helps to consciously set aside a moment when you want to concentrate on your work: make your surroundings quieter, minimise distractions and choose a single task. For those who incorporate botanicals into such a daily ritual, we have developed\u00a0Focus Force<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>as part of a deliberate moment of reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We live in an environment where something is constantly demanding our attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greater focus does not, therefore, necessarily mean that you have to train yourself to remain concentrated for hours on end without a break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps it starts more with noticing where your attention goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which interruptions are really necessary? When do you lose focus? Which tasks keep popping into your head? And how many times a day do you ask your brain to switch gears?<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Vier](\"https:\/\/wiserootz.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/focus-aandacht-processen-wise-rootz-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYour attention wanders \u2014 even without distractions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why do your thoughts wander?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Just having a quick look at your emails isn\u2019t always \u2018just a quick look\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes part of your attention lags behind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Taakwisselingen](\"https:\/\/wiserootz.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/attention-residue-task-switching-focus-wise-rootz-1024x559.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGreater focus doesn\u2019t always start with trying harder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A moment of mindful reflection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your attention doesn\u2019t have to be perfect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n