Try out this attention hack to pay better attention during online meetings

I like working from home, I do. There’s one problem, though: the pandemic really messed up my ability to pay attention during meetings. Online meetings are just temptation minefields for me. It’s too easy to open up Reddit, or Hacker News, while someone from your team is droning on and on about why we should use Vue.js over React. Needless waffling from other people aside, I constantly started to struggle with paying attention to what was being said.

One time, we had an all hands meeting and I knew the chances of me having to speak would be like 1%. So I started cooking a healthy meal while the meeting was happening. Plugged in my AirPods and started chopping onions. After an hour I had a brilliant meal and I had listened to the meeting! Hmm, there was something of value here.

Cooking during a meeting is not always the best option, however. Imagine having to speak and having to unmute yourself while your hands are still dirty from cutting the chicken, it’s just not practical. I also can imagine some frowns if I had my camera on. People might get jealous of my slow cooked Mexican chicken, you know.

I have found another good attention hack, though.

Journaling!

It can happen largely off-camera, so it doesn’t bother anyone else in the meeting. It keeps my hands busy, gives me brain something to do that directs attention but leaves about 80% capacity open for listening. It’s great!

Furthermore, it’s easy to unmute yourself when you have to speak.

Added bonus: you’re able to direct frustrations about technology to your journaling activities.

Exhibits:

If you have trouble paying attention, give it a try.