Restoration Techniques Application in the Real-World
So we’ve all discussed the repercussions of directed attention fatigue (DAF) as well as various methods to restore directed attention (DA), such as through hard fascination (concerts, sports, TV), soft fascination (nature), and mindfulness practices (meditation, yoga). As a student, it is perhaps quite easy to break up studying/reading materials by subject into blocks varying from 20-45 minutes, depending on the topic’s level of interest or difficulty. Personally, I try to study my class materials, as well as keep up with extra-curricular commitments, on a rotating basis so that I will think about and consider each topic multiple times throughout the day. In addition, I will take breaks from all work for a period of time--breaks which include the three restorative techniques mentioned above, albeit currently skewed more to the hard fascination side. These methods seems to work for me (so far); however, it makes me wonder about the efficacy of such restorative practices in some real-world job settings.
It's always nice to talk about what one should do, but putting these restorative concepts into practice requires considering the implications and potential obstacles. What if one has a job where he or she is required to maintain DA well past the “threshold” for fatigue? Or someone who has a busy schedule to balance between a career, kids, and family and may not have time for meditation or yoga? To consider the former scenario, think consider a physician performing a long surgery. Surgeons do often take food and bathroom breaks, especially if the surgery is being performed over many hours. Moreover, there is often more than one surgeon in the operating room or close by and thus another surgeon may be able to take over. However, it would be difficult as well as not make much sense for a surgeon to take a short break by walking away every 45-60 minutes during a 9-hour surgery. Nor would it be viable for a surgeon to seek restoration and soft fascination in a natural setting, especially in a hospital setting, during surgery.
Although a surgeon may be able to partake in deep restoration after a shift, DA may still fatigue during surgery--arguably the most important aspect of a surgeon’s job. Therefore, I also wonder if DA could be trained or worked out like a muscle. Could there be a method through which one could increase the length of DA before fatigue settles in? Or would people with careers which require sustained DA simply have to cope with micro-restoration techniques during the day and deep restoration techniques after work?
Great questions, Nathan! While Directed Attention is a finite resource that we can't "work out" to increase, we nonetheless can improve how effectively we direct our attention and inhibit stimuli in our environments through mindfulness-based practices. Perhaps this is something that professionals with very attention-demanding jobs, like surgeons, could incorporate into their practice, in addition to micro-restorations throughout the workday?
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