• How to stay focused in a world of distractions

We have all been there – picking up our phones for a quick check of social media, only to find ourselves lost in an endless scroll, hours slipping away unnoticed. 

Procrastination has always been a challenge, but in today’s fast-paced, digital world, it feels harder than ever to stay focused. The sheer volume of information, the never-ending stream of news, notifications, and entertainment, all compete for our attention, making it easy to delay tasks and lose productivity.

In a time where uncertainty and stress are at an all-time high, avoiding procrastination isn’t just about getting more done; it is about regaining control over our time and mental well-being. Our collective attention spans are shrinking and distractions have become second nature. 

But how do we break free from this cycle? How do we resist doomscrolling and use our time effectively? In this article, we explore practical strategies to help you stay on track, reclaim your focus, and make the most of your day.

The allure of doomscrolling 

Many of our readers echoed similar concerns, highlighting how staying focused has become increasingly difficult. 

Shehani Palihawadana, reflecting on her own experience, shared: “I was recently comparing this February to last year, and I feel there is a visible lack of focus and enthusiasm in the way I engage with work. 

“Honestly, nothing much has changed with my job – I have the same role and largely the same responsibilities. However, my attention and passion have significantly diminished. I still love my job and do my best, but I fear that my ability to stay on task now requires a more militant effort than ever before.”

Her experience resonates with many who find themselves struggling to maintain the same level of motivation and concentration, despite their responsibilities remaining unchanged. The constant influx of distractions, coupled with the stress of daily life, makes it more challenging to stay engaged and productive.

Ashila Lashani, a preschool teacher, also shared her struggle with avoiding distractions, despite making a conscious effort to stay disciplined. 

“I am usually very cautious when it comes to using social media and falling into doomscrolling. I don’t even check my phone in the morning in order to avoid this. 

“I work with children, so I have to make a conscious effort not to be a bad example by always being on my phone. But when I am not teaching – when I am in transit or literally doing anything else – I am on my phone. At the end of it, many, many hours later, I don’t even know what I have consumed – it is all a big blur.”

Her experience reflects a common challenge – even those who try to set boundaries with technology find themselves unconsciously slipping into mindless scrolling. With digital content designed to capture and sustain attention, breaking free from the cycle of passive consumption requires more than just intention – it demands active and mindful effort.

A temporary escape

Given that these experiences appear to be commonplace, Brunch also reached out to life coaches to gain insight into what some are calling a ‘procrastination epidemic.’ 

With distractions more abundant than ever and attention spans shrinking, staying focused has become an uphill battle for many. In order to understand this struggle, Brunch asked experts to share their thoughts on why procrastination had become so prevalent and, more importantly, to provide practical tips and strategies to help keep these compulsions at bay.

Avaimpact and Colombo Institute of Coaches and Trainers (CICT) Life Coach Dilini K. Perera shed light on the deep-rooted issues behind social media addiction and procrastination. 

She explained that while many people recognised the excessive use of social media as harmful, they continued to engage with it because it offered a temporary escape from their present situation, whether they were having a good day or a bad one. However, this disconnection from reality often leads to mental health struggles, poor emotional regulation, and an increased sense of loneliness.

According to her observations, several key factors contribute to this addiction:

• Escaping loneliness
• Inability to recover from inner distress
• Lack of problem-solving skills
• Problems with resiliency
• Seeking engagement and validation through creative outlets such as maintaining social media pages (e.g. poetry writing)

She highlighted an ongoing debate about whether social media relieves loneliness or worsens it. While some believe social media allows them to connect and engage with people, excessive use can also lead to isolation from family, friends, and society, negatively impacting mental well-being. 

“Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, both conditions contribute to depression and anxiety,” Perera emphasised.

She also pointed out that many people turned to social media for validation, using it as a platform to share their emotions and seek responses from others. 

“Most heavy social media users post their thoughts and feelings in hopes of receiving responses or indirect support. Their intention is to process and overcome their issues, but when they lack key life skills – such as problem-solving – they become trapped in this cycle,” she explained.

A lack of resilience, she noted, further exacerbated the problem. “People struggling with resiliency are more vulnerable to daily stress. Sometimes, they fixate on unattainable goals, which can push them into unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol consumption, smoking, and even unsafe behaviours like unprotected sex or excessive use of social media for adult content,” she said. This, in turn, increases negative thinking and emotional distress while disrupting daily routines.

On the flip side, she acknowledged that some social media users engaged creatively as a form of healing, such as through writing poetry or sharing personal stories. While this can be a positive way to develop new skills, it can also deepen emotional wounds if individuals continue to relive their struggles without properly processing and releasing them.

Ultimately, Perera stressed the importance of strengthening social relationships, planning real-world activities to reduce loneliness, and improving problem-solving and resiliency skills within families and communities. 

“Hard social media use often comes from a lack of real-life communication and emotional support. If we improve the quality of our relationships, we can help prevent social media addiction and, in turn, reduce procrastination,” she stressed.

Persistence over perfection

KPJ Academy Founder Kshyahla Pinto-Jayawardena highlighted how social media consumption impacted sustained focus and mental resilience. She explained that people who frequently engaged with multiple social media platforms at once struggled to maintain sustained focus, as their attention was constantly divided. 

“Throughout the day, many people multitask by alternating between work and social media platforms. Due to the addictive strategies of social media platforms, it becomes harder to disengage, and the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) further disrupts continuous focus on one task,” she noted.

She also pointed out that popular media often romanticised success, making it seem effortless. “Social content facilitates the visualisation of the end outcome we desire – the perfect physique, the dream home, the picture-perfect garden. But what is missing in these portrayals are the struggle, the journey, the setbacks, and the discipline required to achieve those results,” she explained. 

This distorted representation creates a generation of dreamers who lack the patience and mental resilience to push through obstacles.

“In return, we have created dreamers who lack the mental resilience to stay the course, to keep pushing through challenges, and to rebuild when things fall apart,” she said. As a result, many people struggle to concentrate, persist through failures, or maintain consistency in their goals. “The irony is that the only thing we are truly failing at is applying ourselves – mentally, emotionally, and physically,” she noted.

Her insights highlight a critical issue; procrastination is not just about distraction but also about the inability to commit to the process of achieving long-term goals. The key to overcoming this, she suggested, lay in developing self-discipline, accepting the challenges of progress, and focusing on persistence rather than perfection.

Breaking free 

Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Trainer and Life Coach Pubudu Erathna provided a neuroscientific perspective on why so many people today struggled with procrastination, particularly due to social media. He explained that social media consumption triggered dopamine release in the brain, which could lead to habit-forming, addictive behaviour. 

“Dopamine is a chemical messenger associated with pleasurable activities like food, sex, and social interaction. Social media provides quick bursts of entertainment and stimulation, creating an instant gratification loop,” he noted.

This instant reward system makes social media far more appealing than tackling a demanding task, which requires effort and patience. 

“The ease of scrolling through social media offers a sense of quick satisfaction, while real-life tasks often require sustained focus and delayed gratification. This makes it tempting for people to put off important work and fall into the cycle of procrastination,” he explained.

He further emphasised that many individuals were unaware of how their brain chemistry influenced their productivity. “Understanding that social media is designed to hijack our attention and exploit our brain’s reward system is the first step towards breaking the cycle of procrastination,” he pointed out.

To combat this, Erathna suggested building awareness and practising self-control, which involves setting boundaries for social media use, using timers, and engaging in activities that promote long-term satisfaction rather than instant gratification. His insights reinforce the idea that overcoming procrastination is not just about willpower but also about actively rewiring our brains to prioritise meaningful tasks over fleeting digital distractions.

Breaking free from procrastination in a world filled with digital distractions is no easy feat. Social media’s design, our brain’s natural craving for instant gratification, and the way success is often misrepresented online all contribute to the struggle to stay focused. 

Whether it is the dopamine-driven cycle of endless scrolling, the fear of missing out, or the lack of mental resilience to push through challenges, it is clear that procrastination is more than just a lack of willpower – it is a complex behavioural pattern influenced by both psychology and technology.

However, awareness is the first step towards breaking the cycle. By being mindful of digital consumption, setting intentional boundaries, and developing healthier habits, we can reclaim focus and productivity. 

Strengthening social connections, improving problem-solving skills, and building resilience are key to overcoming distractions. Understanding how the brain’s reward system influences behaviour also empowers individuals to take control of their habits.

Ultimately, small, conscious changes – whether limiting social media use, prioritising deep work, or embracing discomfort – can have a lasting impact. Instead of allowing distractions to dictate our days, we must actively shape our relationship with technology and time, ensuring that we stay on track, not just for productivity’s sake, but for overall well-being and personal growth as well.