Why Focus Feels Harder Today and How To Train Your Brain

In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” we’re talking to two professors in the Daniels School of Business: Allie Gabriel, the Thomas J. Howatt Chair in Management in the Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management Department and director of the Center for Working Well, and Kate Zipay, associate professor of organizational behavior and human resources. Allie and Kate are leading experts and researchers on employee well-being, work-life balance, performance and motivation. They were recently nominated for the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026, which recognizes 30 emerging management strategists from around the world. This award-winning duo joins the podcast for a thought-provoking conversation about how professionals can retrain their brains to master productivity and focus in today’s digital age — at work and home. In this episode, you will: Learn more about the difference between productivity and activity — and how “doomscrolling” on social media and constant email, Teams and Slack notifications can undermine our daily work tasks. Discover more about focus and cognitive stamina, like what these buzzwords really mean and how professionals can build their capacity for deep, meaningful work. Hear Allie’s and Kate’s tangible tips for retraining your brain to conquer digital distractions — like locking down your phone — and how they’re teaching their students to improve their digital well-being. Find out how to build a balanced “work diet” and why deep-thinking and low-stakes tasks are both vital parts of a healthy professional lifestyle. Dive deeper into how organizations can better support employee well-being and productivity and why leaders should start normalizing rest and recovery. Hear more about how “early bird” and “night owl” labels can inhibit our self-growth and how to plan your work schedule around the times that work best for you while still being collaborative. Explore why high performers are more susceptible to burnout and how rethinking your identity as a “doer” and setting boundaries can help improve your overall well-being. Learn more about Allie’s and Kate’s goals for the future and how Purdue is at the forefront of performance, productivity and well-being research. Gain insights into using AI to enhance productivity — and why it can give users a false sense of efficiency due to a lack of psychological ownership. You don’t want to miss this episode with two innovative Purdue business professors and researchers who are transforming the way we work — and how we take care of ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices