So last time, I was banging on about the benefits of boredom (read the full blog here).

There’s a flip side to giving our brains some wandering time – and that’s giving it some proper focused, undistracted time too.  Different but similar, in it’s all about taking away those diversions and brain whirls that keep us distracted, unfocused, frazzled, inefficient…

This week, I’ve come across the work of Cal Newport and his concept of “deep work”.

What is deep work?

Newport has coined the term deep work, which is defined as:

“the act of focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task”.

He sees this as being a superpower in our modern world with benefits including:

  • Enabling us to learn complicated new skills quickly and produce high-value output efficiently
  • Helping us to work in a deliberate way to do this. That is to say, being able to identify and focus on specific activities which are targeted for improvement, rather than trying to build skills in a scattered, “try anything” way
  • Generating a sense of meaning and fulfilment. Compare the sense of satisfaction of an afternoon solving that difficult problem that’s needed addressing for ages versus a morning of email fire-fighting.

Newport views all of this through the lens of professional work, but I think this works really well for all aspects of our life.

And it really doesn’t sound that complicated does it? Conscious, protected time carved out for those more challenging, or creative activities.  But when was the last time you worked on something for even an hour without checking your phone, responding to a message, or “quickly” looking something up?

Why we need this now more than ever

I’m sure it’s not surprise to know that we’re living in what Newport calls a state of “constant distraction”.  Our attention is being pulled in multiple different directions at once, and we’ve convinced ourselves this is just the way it is now.

Indeed, so many people relish they’re ability to multitask and see that as a superpower ( hands up, I’ve been one of them).  But I’m really starting to see it for what it is – inefficient, scattered, aggravating a lack of focus and – gulp – perhaps the ultimate distraction technique for keeping us away from what’s really going on.

In fact, research shows that it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully regain focus after an interruption! How much time do you think you’re focusing when you factor in the forced and unenforced interruptions in a typical hour?

In reality, the most valuable work – the stuff that really moves the needle, that creates something meaningful, that solves complex problems, the strategy rather than fire-fighting – requires deep thinking.

It needs sustained attention.

It needs us to go beneath the surface.

Just as our brains need unstructured time to wander and make connections, they also need structured time to focus intensely. We need both the wandering and the diving deep.

The problem is, we’re currently doing neither – we’re just constantly treading water in the shallow end.

So how go deep?

The good news is that deep work is a skill, which means it can be developed. Here are some practical ways to start:

  • Start small: Don’t try to block out four hours straight if you’re used to checking your phone every five minutes. Begin with just 20-30 minutes of focused work. Set a timer, put your phone in another room or use an app blocker, close all those tabs, and just… work on one thing.

  • Schedule it: Deep work won’t just happen in spare moments. You need to be intentional about it. Block time in your calendar, treat it like a meeting you can’t miss, and protect it fiercely.

  • Create rituals: Newport talks about establishing routines that signal to your brain it’s time to go deep. Maybe it’s making a particular cup of coffee, moving to a specific location, or putting on certain music. These rituals help you transition into focused mode.

  • Embrace the discomfort: Here’s where it connects to boredom again – deep work can feel uncomfortable at first. Your brain will itch for distraction. You’ll want to check something, look something up, see what’s happening. Sit with that discomfort. It gets easier.

  • Track your depth: At the end of each day, note how many hours you spent in deep work. Not how many hours you were “busy” – but how many you were truly focused.

My own challenge…

This is all something I’m trying myself.  I’m a chronic multitasker and prone to “flitting”.

And I definitely get caught up in fire-fighting and short-term delivery, as my strategic, longer-term aims get bumped out the way (for example, I’ve written and created multiple new websites this year for others, but still haven’t got to my own!).

I’m playing with scheduling deep work and so far find it most helpful to get away from my computer.  I’m liking our sunroom which is full of light and a view of the garden, a comfy chair and of course, a trusty cuppa.  I’m trying out different focus music, like binaural beats (jury’s still out on those!).

I put my phone into airplane mode but I still sometimes find it in my hand!  And I’m using a little mantra of “do one thing”  to remind myself not to mentally flip around or have more than one programme running at the same time.

Not sure I’ve really hit deep work just yet, but I’m practicing and playing and that in itself is fun.

Come and join me – I’d love to know how you get on!