14. Distraction | Reclaim Your Mind from Modern Chaos

We live in a world engineered to steal our attention. Social media, endless notifications, and a constant stream of stimulation have rewired our brains to seek distraction. But is distraction just something that happens to us—or is it a habit we’ve unknowingly built?

In this episode of the Still Life Podcast, Henry Mitchell and Jim George uncover the true nature of distraction—how it evolved for survival, how technology has weaponized it, and why social media and validation feel so powerful (even when we know they’re empty). More importantly, they explore how to reclaim your attention and shift from passive consumption to deep presence and meaning.

Key Topics Covered:

🔹 Distraction as a Habit – How constantly shifting focus trains us to be unable to focus at all.
🔹 How Social Media Hacks Your Brain – Dopamine, validation, and intermittent rewards keep us hooked.
🔹 Why Validation is So Powerful – The deep evolutionary roots of status-seeking and social belonging.
🔹 Regaining Your Attention – How Stillness, intention, and habit shifts can bring back control.

Our attention is the most valuable resource we have—so why do we give it away so easily?

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 - 01:35 - Intro
01:35 - 06:34 - What is Distraction
06:34 - 16:33 - Evolutionary Basis for Distraction
16:33 - 32:27 - Technology & Distraction
32:27 - 43:32 - Distraction & Habit
43:32 - 48:42 - Distraction & Stillness
48:42 - 57:47 - Jim’s Long-Term Goals
57:47 - 1:07:29 - Is Social Media Bad?
1:07:29 - 1:20:25 - Why Is Validation Important?
1:20:25 - 1:30:45 - Henry’s Experience