Here are the 3 ways to improve your attention:
Training the Mind to recognize the wandering attention
“Improving attention is a skill to train the mind to realize when and how attention wanders away, bringing the attention back when it wanders away”
Basically, we train the mind to have wandering attention unknowingly due to two kinds of distraction, one is the internal distraction, due to the unstructured thoughts; and another one is the external distraction, due to external sensory inputs, the smartphone notification is one of the external source distractions.
Engaging Your Mind
“If you don’t engage your mind, memorized thoughts are always ready to engage your mind”
Your mind doesn’t stay in the vacuum, it needs mental activities. When you sleep, only the processing unit of the mind takes rest and you stop experiencing the consciousness. The subconscious mind and the conscious mind are always active, that’s why you can wake up again after a deep sleep.
Practicing Mindfulness
“Life is neither in the past nor in the future, only your thoughts let you travel time”
Being attentive to your work is the key to practice mindfulness. The bulks of unwanted thoughts are always ready to let you experience past or future as reality. When you pay attention to the present, you not only control your mind but, you become productive as well.