Attention Environment Check

Twelve questions about notifications, phone habits, interruptions, workspace and sleep. See which parts of your environment support attention and which work against it.

Your ability to concentrate depends heavily on your surroundings: notifications, where your phone is, how often you are interrupted, and how often you switch tasks. This check looks at twelve of those factors and describes each one as supportive, mixed or challenging, with specific changes for the areas working against you.

What this is not: it measures the habits and surroundings you report, not brain chemistry. It is not a “dopamine score”, an “ADHD score” or an “addiction score”, and it does not diagnose anything.

1. On a typical day, how much time do you spend on your phone outside work?

Under 1 hour 1–3 hours 3–5 hours More than 5 hours

2. How many apps are allowed to send you notifications?

Only calls and messages from people A few chosen apps Most apps I have never changed the defaults

3. How often do you pick up your phone without a specific reason?

Rarely A few times an hour Every few minutes I often find it in my hand without deciding to

4. How do you usually end a social media session?

I decide in advance and stop I stop when I get bored Something interrupts me I lose track and feel I spent too long

5. When working or studying, how often do you switch between tasks, tabs or apps?

I work in focused blocks Every 15–30 minutes Every few minutes Constantly

6. Where is your phone at night?

Outside the bedroom In the bedroom, out of reach Within reach of the bed In bed with me, and I use it before sleep

7. How often are you interrupted by other people or messages while working?

Rarely A few times a day Several times an hour Almost continuously

8. Do you use a second screen (phone, TV, video) while doing something else?

Rarely Sometimes Most of the time Almost always

9. When you have to wait (a queue, a lift, an advert break), what do you do?

Wait, think or look around Sometimes check my phone Usually check my phone Always reach for my phone immediately

10. Do you check something (messages, likes, news, email) even when you know nothing new is there?

Rarely Sometimes Often Very often, and it is hard to stop

11. Where is your phone while you work or study?

In another room In a bag or drawer, out of sight Face-down on the desk In my hand, or face-up where I can see it

12. Where do you usually do focused work?

A quiet space I keep for work A shared space with some noise A busy space with frequent noise or movement Wherever I happen to be, often with a TV or people around

Describe my attention environment

Your attention environment

Area	What you described

Changes most likely to help

This describes the habits and surroundings you reported, not your brain chemistry. It is not a dopamine score, an ADHD score or an addiction score, and it cannot diagnose any condition.

Keep your results

Print or save as PDF “Email me my results” opens with The Brief. We will only ever email you if you explicitly ask us to.

How it works

Each answer is described as supportive, mixed or challenging. The overall description (mostly supportive, mixed or demanding) depends on how many areas are mixed or challenging. Suggestions come from the areas working against you. There is no score, and nothing you enter leaves your device.

Background reading: Why can’t I concentrate? · How do I stop scrolling?

Free, no registration, nothing stored. This tool is educational and does not diagnose any condition. If you are worried about your health, speak to your GP.

The Brief

Understand your brain a little better each week.

Join The Brief from dopamine.co.uk. Free. No spam, no supplements, no selling your address. Unsubscribe in one click.

Sign-up opening soon