--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to blinker ourselves, to better…" description: "\"We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our attentional focus. Enforced periods of no email or Internet to allow us to sustain concentration ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg" --- # We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our… ![“We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our attentional focus. Enforced periods of no email or Internet to allow us to sustain concentration have been shown to be tremendously helpful. And breaks - even a 15-minute break every two or three hours - make us more productive in the long run.” quote by Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg) > “We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our attentional focus. Enforced periods of no email or Internet to allow us to sustain concentration have been shown to be tremendously helpful. And breaks - even a 15-minute break every two or three hours - make us more productive in the long run.” [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regularly disconnecting from digital distractions and taking short, frequent breaks restores attention and boosts long‑term productivity. **In simple terms:** Digital breaks improve focus and output. Key Takeaway Schedule email‑free periods and short breaks. Themes focus productivity attention well‑being Mood refreshed motivated balanced Type advice practical scientific When to use this quote - office work - studying - creative projects - remote work Key Concepts cognitive load self‑regulation micro‑breaks Questions to Reflect On - How can you embed regular digital detoxes into your day? - What break length works best for you? A Different Perspective Breaks alone won’t fix deep‑seated habits; discipline is still required. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) ## Related quotes > [I've been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/i-ve-been-too-productive-for-too-long-and-despite-what-anybody-wants/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Just because something has been a lot of work or consumed a lot of time doesn't make it productive or worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/just-because-something-has-been-a-lot-of-work-or-consumed-a-lot-of/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [“Equipment will never help you write a lot; only making a schedule and sticking to it will make you a productive writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-silvia/equipment-will-never-help-you-write-a-lot-only-making-a-schedule-and/) [Paul J. Silvia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-silvia/) > [You may lack will power, but that doesn't mean you can't take a lot of steps to make yourself more productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/you-may-lack-will-power-but-that-doesn-t-mean-you-can-t-take-a-lot-of/) [John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/) > [I find that time constraints actually make me more productive, and "real world" experiences provide a lot of inspiration to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-campbell/i-find-that-time-constraints-actually-make-me-more-productive-and/) [Liza Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-campbell/) > [The great challenge to management today is to make productive the tremendous new resource, the knowledge worker. This, rather than the productivity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-great-challenge-to-management-today-is-to-make-productive-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“The question most people do not ask themselves is what they could do with their time to make it productive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-question-most-people-do-not-ask-themselves-is-what-they-could-do/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [If you're going to invest a valuable asset (like time), go ahead and make it productive. Use a postit or two, or some index…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-going-to-invest-a-valuable-asset-like-time-go-ahead-and/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The first thing you have to learn is how to conduct dialogue and how to make it productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-first-thing-you-have-to-learn-is-how-to-conduct-dialogue-and-how/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [“Stop spending money to be nominated for worthless awards with no substance and no worth to your career. If you have to spend money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-weisman/stop-spending-money-to-be-nominated-for-worthless-awards-with-no/) [Loren Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-weisman/) > [“And in the long run, research shows that the mistakes we regret are not errors of commission, but errors of omission. If we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/and-in-the-long-run-research-shows-that-the-mistakes-we-regret-are/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/immoral-adj-inexpedient-whatever-in-the-long-run-and-with-regard-to/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-of-valois/there-are-few-husbands-whom-the-wife-cannot-win-in-the-long-run-by/) [Margaret of Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-of-valois/) > [“Polarization (and Trumpism) is in itself a kind of political crisis. But all of this would be fine in the long run, if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanzi-freinacht/polarization-and-trumpism-is-in-itself-a-kind-of-political-crisis-but/) [Hanzi Freinacht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanzi-freinacht/) ## More by Daniel Levitin > [What music is better able to do than language is to represent the complexity of human emotional states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/what-music-is-better-able-to-do-than-language-is-to-represent-the/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Procrastination comes in two types. Some of us procrastinate in order to pursue restful activities - spending time in bed, watching TV - while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/procrastination-comes-in-two-types-some-of-us-procrastinate-in-order/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [In a country that was still racially segregated and prejudiced, music was among the first domains in which African-Americans thrived alongside whites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/in-a-country-that-was-still-racially-segregated-and-prejudiced-music/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Because our ancestors lived in social groups that changed slowly, because they encountered the same people throughout their lives, they could keep almost every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/because-our-ancestors-lived-in-social-groups-that-changed-slowly/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Because you've been exposed to Western tonal music, you know after a certain chord sequence what the next possibilities are. Your brain has compiled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/because-you-ve-been-exposed-to-western-tonal-music-you-know-after-a/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [People who organize their time in a way that allows them to focus are not only going to get more done, but they'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/people-who-organize-their-time-in-a-way-that-allows-them-to-focus-are/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [I have never seen a proton or electron spinning around it. I have never actually seen a chromosome. I trust that they exist because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/i-have-never-seen-a-proton-or-electron-spinning-around-it-i-have/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [If you're studying from a book and trying to listen in on a conversation at the same time, those are two separate projects, each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/if-you-re-studying-from-a-book-and-trying-to-listen-in-on-a/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [President Trump, when challenged on facts, says that many people feel the way he does. But feelings should not take the place of reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/president-trump-when-challenged-on-facts-says-that-many-people-feel/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Our species uses music and dance to express various feelings: love, joy, comfort, ceremony, knowledge, and friendship. And each one is distinct and widely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/our-species-uses-music-and-dance-to-express-various-feelings-love-joy/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [The first forms of writing emerged not for art, literature, or love, not for spiritual or liturgical purposes, but for business--all literature could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/the-first-forms-of-writing-emerged-not-for-art-literature-or-love-not/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [When you're at work, be fully at work. And let your leisure time be what it's meant to be - restorative and fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/when-you-re-at-work-be-fully-at-work-and-let-your-leisure-time-be/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [The obvious rule of efficiency is you don't want to spend more time organizing than it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/the-obvious-rule-of-efficiency-is-you-don-t-want-to-spend-more-time/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [When it comes to snowing people, one effective technique is to get a whole bunch of verifiable facts right and then add one or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/when-it-comes-to-snowing-people-one-effective-technique-is-to-get-a/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [The human brain long ago evolved a mechanism for rewarding us when we encountered new information: a little shot of dopamine in the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/the-human-brain-long-ago-evolved-a-mechanism-for-rewarding-us-when-we/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) [Explore all 143 Daniel Levitin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our attentional focus. Enforced periods of no email or Internet to allow us to sustain concentration have been shown to be tremendously helpful. And breaks - even a 15-minute break every two or three hours - make us more productive in the long run.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Levitin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-monitor-our-attentional-focus/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-monitor-our-attentional-focus/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/daniel-levitin-2988_better_we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-m_2371895.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need to blinker ourselves, to better monitor our attentional focus. Enforced periods of no email or…” — Daniel Levitin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Levitin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need to blinker ourselves, to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-monitor-our-attentional-focus/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/we-need-to-blinker-ourselves-to-better-monitor-our-attentional-focus/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```