Benefits of using blinders?

Using blinders or techniques that simulate the restricting of our visual window can enhance mental focus. In essence, the principle is that our mental focus tends to follow our visual focus. By narrowing our visual aperture, we can help our brain to engage the neural circuits responsible for deliberate attention. Andrew Huberman explains how dopamine can narrow the visual window, which enhances the ability to focus. For instance, using a phone, tablet, or laptop screen that doesn't extend too far beyond the size of your head can help in maintaining attention, as it limits the need for your eyes to dilate and attend to things in the periphery, which can be distracting and cause eye fatigue 1.

This concept also extends to using physical objects like hoods or hats to restrict the visual window. These can be particularly useful in environments inundated with distractions, such as multiple devices or other external stimuli. The idea is to train the brain to engage focus circuits deliberately when required, which can be more challenging without such visual restrictions in our modern, device-filled world 2.

Moreover, Dr. Huberman echoes that keeping visual targets in front of us and avoiding looking at screens or spaces that are too wide helps maintain attention. Once you reach a point where your visual focus extends too far to the side, maintaining attention becomes inherently difficult 1. These techniques are part of optimizing our workspace for productivity, focus, and creativity, allowing us to tailor our environment to support our cognitive needs.