Burnout is usually blamed on doing too much. But more often, it’s a focus problem not a time one.
Behavioral scientist and psychologist Dr. Zelana Montminy studies what happens when our attention is stretched too thin and our nervous systems never fully power down. Her work centers on resilience, clarity, and mental fitness in a world designed for constant distraction. As a mother of three and a leader navigating modern life herself, she understands that thriving isn’t about balance. It’s about knowing what matters and protecting it.
She recently published her second book, Finding Focus, offering practical, science backed tools for grounding, clarity, and emotional resilience especially at a time when burnout feels nearly universal.
In this conversation, we explore why focus erodes before energy does, how constant task switching keeps the nervous system on edge, and how to begin resetting your attention even when time off isn’t an option. Because focus isn’t about productivity. It’s about presence.
A lot of people think burnout means they are doing too much. From a behavioral science perspective, what do you think we are actually experiencing when we say we are burnt out? Burnout isn’t just about volume. It’s about unrelenting cognitive and emotional load without recovery. From a behavioral science lens, burnout is what happens when the nervous system has been asked to stay alert, responsive, and emotionally regulated for too long without enough moments of safety or completion. It’s not that people are weak, it’s that their system has been stuck in “on” mode. Burnout is less about exhaustion and more about depletion of internal resources like attention and meaning.
When someone says “I feel burnt out,” what is the first question you ask to understand whether focus is part of the problem? I ask, “When was the last time you felt fully absorbed in something without being pulled away?”
If the answer is “I can’t remember,” that tells me a lot. Focus isn’t just about productivity, it’s more about the ability to settle into a moment. When that capacity disappears, burnout isn’t far behind.
How does constant switching between tasks, screens, and roles affect the nervous system over time? Constant switching trains the nervous system to stay in a state of low-grade alarm. Each switch is a tiny stressor so your brain has to recalibrate and re-engage. Over time, this fragments attention and erodes emotional regulation. The result is irritability, mental fatigue, and a sense that your thoughts won’t land anywhere long enough to feel satisfying.
Many people feel ashamed when they cannot concentrate. How do you help people understand that this is not a personal failure? I remind them that attention is biological before it is moral. Focus is a nervous system capacity, not a trait. When someone can’t concentrate, it’s often because their brain is protecting them from overload, not because they lack discipline. Shame actually makes focus worse. When we replace judgment with understanding, attention starts to return.
What is one simple grounding practice people can use when their mind feels overstimulated or jumpy?I love what I call a sensory anchor. Put both feet on the floor, name three things you can feel physically, and slow your exhale just slightly longer than your inhale. It sounds simple, but it signals safety to the nervous system. You just give your body something steady to land on.
What is your advice for protecting focus when your job requires constant responsiveness? Stop trying to be responsive all the time and start being responsive on purpose. Even small boundaries like batching messages, turning notifications off for 30 minutes, or having a clear “response window” help the brain recover. Focus is about creating rhythm instead of reactivity.
What are the most common mistakes people make when they try to “get their focus back”? They aim for intensity instead of stability. People try to overhaul everything at once or force deep concentration when their system is already taxed. Focus comes back through consistency and safety, not pressure. Another mistake is treating focus like a productivity hack instead of a well-being issue.
For people who cannot take time off or reduce their workload, what are a few realistic ways to reduce burnout through focus alone? Shrink the field. Decide what actually needs your attention today and let the rest be “good enough.” Close unnecessary tabs. Finish one small thing completely before starting another. Even brief moments of completion help restore a sense of control, which is incredibly protective against burnout.
If someone only has the energy to try one thing this week, what should it be? Create one moment a day where your attention is not for sale. Five minutes. No phone. No multitasking. Just one thing, fully. That single act reminds your nervous system and your mind that you are still capable of presence. And that’s where recovery begins.
The post The Focus Reset for Burnout, According to a Behavioral Scientist appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.