When I’m writing an article, I sometimes find myself stopping mid-sentence to toggle over to my email, or opening Instagram without even really thinking about it. These moments freak me out. Is my attention span really so bad that I can’t finish writing a single sentence without pausing?

Lots of people have similar concerns these days, surveys suggest, and with good reason: Our distraction-filled modern environment is essentially designed to pull our attention toward the screens always within arm's reach. But there’s a silver lining, experts told me. With a little effort, you can improve your focus.

The first step, they said, is becoming aware of the various drains on your attention and making a conscious effort to block them out through changes in your environment, priorities, or working style. “It’s not only possible [to improve attention],” one researcher told me, “it’s probable—but it’s effortful.”

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