Are you a graduate student struggling to maintain your focus amidst a barrage of digital distractions? In this episode of Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD we dive deep with into the secrets of optimizing your focus and attention. Gloria Mark, PhD in psychology and Chancellor's Professor Emerita at UC Irvine. Discover how like meta awareness and identifying your attentional rhythms can help you make the most of your graduate school journey. Don't miss out on expert advice that promises to alleviate  your anxiety and skyrocket  your productivity—essential listening for anyone looking to take control of their academic success in an age of constant interruptions. Gloria Mark is Chancellors Professor Emerita at the University of California, Irvine, and also spent ten years as a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft Research. She received her PhD from Columbia University in psychology. For over two decades she has researched the impact of digital media on people's lives, studying how using our devices affect our multitasking, distractions, mood and behavior. She has published over 200 papers in the top journals and conferences in the field of human-computer interaction, has received numerous paper awards, and was inducted into the ACM SIGCHI Academy in 2017 in recognition for her contribution to the field. She has also been a Fulbright scholar and has received the prestigious NSF Career grant. Her work has been widely recognized outside of academia: she has appeared on The Ezra Klein show, NPRs Hidden Brain, Sanjay Guptas CNN Chasing Life, CBS Sunday Morning, Dax Shepards Armchair Expert, among many others. Her work has been featured in the popular media, e.g. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, BBC, and others. She has been invited to present her work at SXSW and the Aspen Ideas Festival. Her recent book is Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity, named by The Globe and Mail as the #1 Best Business and Management book of 2023, and chosen as the Season 20 selection of the Next Big Idea Book Club. What we covered in the interview: The power of meta awareness - how to gain the upper hand over the constant pull of smartphones and social media. Curbing thesis-related anxiety - cutting through the pressure with strategic decision-making tips. Halt the multitasking madness – how "monotasking" can turbocharge your productivity and lower your stress. Recharging in nature's embrace - Gloria's recommendation for a 20-minute nature break as a key to unlocking greater creativity. This episode’s resources: Gloria Mark | Website Gloria Mark | Twitter / X The Future of Attention | Substack Thank you, Gloria Mark! If you enjoyed this conversation with Gloria, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin: Send Gloria Mark a thank you message on Linkedin! Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David! Leave a review on Podchaser ! Support the show ! You might also like the following episodes: Jessica Schleider  –Dealing With Mental Unrest in Graduate School Sheena Howard – How to Leverage Academic Branding Amal Abuzeinab – Flourishing in Your PhD and Beyond Melissa Gismondi – The Power of Graduate InternshipsAs always, if you find value in Papa PhD and in the content I bring you every week, click on one of the buttons below and send some of that value back to me by becoming a supporter on Patreon or by buying me a coffee :) Support the show on Patreon ! Or buy me a coffee :)