Creating White Space: Reclaiming Focus in a Distracted World

In a world where our phones are rarely more than an arm’s reach away, the quiet art of focus has become an act of rebellion. Each buzz, ping, or scroll pulls at our attention like small threads, unravelling the calm we crave.

Technology connects us, yet it also fragments us leaving our minds cluttered, our energy scattered, and our nervous systems quietly exhausted. For women in midlife, already balancing career, hormones, and emotional recalibration, this digital hum can feel relentless.

Focus has become more than a skill. It’s a form of self-care. The brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for focus and decision-making, is deeply affected by digital overload. A study from the University of Sydney (2023) found that multitasking across devices not only increases anxiety but also impairs working memory. Each time we switch tasks, our brain must refocus, burning mental energy that depletes our clarity and calm.

For women in perimenopause, fluctuating oestrogen levels can already influence neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which regulate focus and mood. Add constant notifications, and the brain’s ability to sustain attention weakens further.

The Jean Hailes Foundation (2024) highlights that overstimulation can raise cortisol levels, disturb sleep, and amplify anxiety, symptoms often mistaken for hormonal imbalance alone. Yet, what we’re often feeling is the compounded effect of both biology and modern life.

Take a stretched professional. She starts her day checking work emails before she’s even out of bed. Her mind never really rests, half-present at meetings, half-scrolling through messages. What began as “staying informed” has become an invisible drain. When she begins her recalibration journey, she didn’t go offline. She simply created digital boundaries that restored what she now calls her white space.

Practical Rituals or Reflections

Creating white space doesn’t mean disconnection. It means choosing when and how to connect. Try these micro-rituals to reclaim your focus and calm your nervous system:

1. Morning before screens 

   Take ten minutes for tea, breath, or journaling before you touch your phone. This signals to your brain that you set the tone for your day.

2. Digital sabbath moments

   Schedule small “tech-free” pockets through your day. Step outside, feel sunlight, or walk without earbuds.

3. Boundaries with intention

   Turn off non-essential notifications. Keep your phone face-down during meals or conversations.

These rituals allow your parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s natural calm state, to re-engage. Over time, this reduces cortisol, supports emotional regulation, and strengthens cognitive resilience.

Digital fatigue is not a sign of weakness; it’s a signal from your nervous system asking for rhythm and rest. Each small boundary you create, each moment of white space, is a quiet act of reclamation. Your focus is sacred. Protect it like peace.

Stillness is not a luxury. It’s where your mind finds space to breathe.

Science Snapshot

University of Sydney (2023) Digital Distraction and Mental Health. [Online] Available at: https://www.sydney.edu.auJean

Hailes Foundation (2024) Mindful Technology Use. [Online] Available at: https://www.jeanhailes.org.au

Beyond Blue (2023) Social Media and Anxiety. [Online] Available at: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

Harvard Health (2022) Digital Overload and the Brain. [Online] Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu

University of Queensland (2023) Mindfulness and Cognitive Clarity. [Online] Available at: https://www.uq.edu.au

Queensland Brain Institute (2022) Memory and Attention Systems. [Online] Available at: https://qbi.uq.edu.au