17 Affirmations for Focusing Your Attention

The joke used to be that goldfish had incredibly short attention spans, but now the joke is on us humans. In a recent study by Microsoft, human attention span had fallen from 12 seconds in the year 2000, to only 8 seconds. Goldfish? They were holding steady, with an attention span of 9 seconds.

Researchers blamed this decline on our recently adapted digital lifestyles, and the use of multiple screens. Think about it—how often do you sit in a car or on a plane and just enjoy the experience? Probably never. Within minutes—or seconds—most people are pulling out something to distract themselves. This is all good and well if you’re killing time on a long flight, but what’s happened is we have eroded our ability to focus and pay attention at many other times. Our brains now need constant input. Yet in life, we need to slow down in order to fully engage, to process what is really happening, and to commit information to memory. Those steps aren’t happening, which is why we feel scattered and can’t remember much. What was I doing? What was her name? Who was I about to call?

So here are some affirmations for focus to keep us on track. Wait, what was I writing?

1. I free myself from distractions.
2. I have singular focus.
3. I give myself permission to turn off X so I can focus.
4. Right now, I focus only on this priority.
5. I have clarity and energy.
6. The rest of the world is falling away.
7. I’m taking all the time I need to stay focused.
8. I’m super organized.
9. I keep my thoughts on my goals.
10. I’m in my zone.
11. I’m relaxed and focused.
12. I am present.
13. I find the task before me fascinating.
14. For this hour, I am truly attentive.
15. My concentrated efforts are paying off!
16. I’m already feeling more disciplined.
17. Focus is commitment and I’m worth it.

Need more than affirmations for focusing? Take a look at these eight plants for memory and concentration.