It truly becomes difficult for everyone to know how to focus better.
The ability to stay focused is a skill. Several statistics and articles have shown that our attention span is shorter than a goldfish’s.
Is it true, though?
Back in the day, it was manageable to concentrate on a task. Now, aside from the innovative technology, the stress due to the pandemic was also linked to why it’s difficult to stay focused. No matter how skillful and talented you are, without staying focused, it’s hard to climb and reach success. Wondering how to focus better and improve your concentration? We’ve listed some things that can help—keep reading!
Table of Contents
1. Identify your distractions and get rid of them.
6. Beat procrastination with different techniques!
Read also: Tips On How to Succeed in Working From Home
1. Identify your distractions and get rid of them
There is always power with acknowledgment.
One of the important answers on how to focus on tasks is the acknowledgment of distractions. Acknowledging and knowing what interferes with your focus can help you identify and combat them—allowing you to be familiar with the process, and get rid of it. To start, make a list of what distracts you the most. For example, in my case:
- Phone
- Social media notifications
- YouTube (Animal videos)
- Noise
While it can be difficult to get rid of your distractions totally, it is possible to lessen them. Small steps such as going on airplane mode, hiding my phone, and getting away from noise by working in a quiet room help me to combat my distractions. It might be hard to do so–but baby steps matter!
2. Declutter
Decluttering is one of the essential ways to improve focus. Keeping a neat workspace does the trick—don’t let your messy desks distract you from getting things done! Organize and declutter your working area by taking away some unnecessary books, old receipts, and unneeded sticky notes. Don’t worry, you don’t have to achieve the perfect Pinterest-work-from-home setups. Just keep it clean!
“From the moment you start tidying, you will be compelled to reset your life.”
- Marie Kondo
Decluttering is not just all about cleaning up your messy papers and organizing your desk–decluttering the mind is one way to achieve focus. Here are some ways you can organize your thoughts:
- Journal. You will be amazed how taking down notes can help you organize your ideas! With so much going on in our brains, journaling is one of the best ways to remember and take note of everything, not just the important stuff.
- Yoga/Meditation. In the past, yoga was done in a wellness center. Now, with the right precaution, it’s possible to do yoga at the comfort of our homes–with the help of applications and video tutorials. Meditation is also the best way to take a breather after a long day–allowing your mind to relax and release thoughts.
3. Play some music
Did you know?
Music is one of the most effective ways to improve focus! A study in 2007 from the Stanford University School of Medicine proves that music, specifically, classical music, helps your brain to absorb and retain information. If you’re not a classical music person, here’s some of the music we recommend for staying focused:
A research study said that a moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creating cognition. Who would have thought that soft office noise and random murmurs in the coffee shop are one of the ways to improve focus? With Coffitivity, coffee shop noises and office chatters can now be paused, played, and rewind!
With the tagline, “Ambient sounds to wash away distraction”, this fantastic website provides the most relaxing sounds you can enjoy while working, studying, or even for chilling: Rain, waves, wind, birds, and more.
Unleash the DJ in you with Noisli, a music app that lets you curate playlists, and allows you mix different sounds together to your liking.
4. Make a To-Do list
To-do lists never get old. It’s a timeless trick to save time—it helps you to separate the most important things to finish and monitor your task. To make the most out of your to-do lists, write down:
- Achievable tasks: While it looks better to have a lot of tasks written, it’s not advisable to write unrealistic ones. Make sure to write an “I’ll probably do” list for the day!
- Break your to-dos down: Separate the larger to-dos to smaller to-dos. This helps you prioritize your tasks.
- Make your to-do list visible: Put up your to-do list to where you can always see it–it’s hard to keep track of your reminders if it’s hidden.
5. Avoid multi-tasking
Unless you’re a superhero who can talk to a meeting while reading an email at the same time, it isn’t advisable to multitask—your brain will pay for it. Focus on one task at a time, finishing a complete to-do before going to the next one.
6. Beat procrastination with different techniques
Aside from the traditional ways to improve focus, there are different techniques that you can try to beat procrastination. Here are some examples:
- Eat-The-Frog technique: Identifying the biggest task for the day and finishing it first—in the morning and not later of the day
- The Pomodoro technique: Picking a task, setting a time (25 minutes), taking a 5-minute break after, and doing it again.
Make sure to do your research and know what fits you–it won’t hurt to give any techniques a try!
Read more: The Pomodoro Technique for Productivity: Does It Work?
7. Feed your mind
Feeding your mind doesn’t have to involve the most technical stuff—make sure to take a rest while reading your favorite book, listening to a podcast, watching movies, and more. Aside from relaxing, here is some food that you can eat to feed your brain (literally)!:
- Fatty fish, sardines
- Brocolli
- Blueberries
- Nuts
- Dark Chocolate
Taking a moment to refresh will help you figure how to focus better, but also maintain your wellbeing.
8. Use project timeline management tools
You can never go wrong with using project timeline tools to maximize your productivity. These tools can help you save time by automating certain tasks with the right features. Aside from organizing your to-dos, project timeline software also offers you an interactive approach to finishing things on time. On the other hand, choosing project timeline software isn’t easy—especially with all the overwhelming options in the market. It’s important to select tools not just by their popularity, but it also needs to be user-friendly, compatible with your existing systems, and worth the bucks.
9. Have a better sleeping pattern
If you’re sleep-deprived, you may be less able to concentrate, remember things, and pay attention. Sleep deprivation doesn’t usually cause any serious health issues. However, not sleeping well every day may negatively impact your ability to perform at work.
If you’re too exhausted, you may not be able to react quickly enough when driving or doing anything else important. Sometimes life gets busy and we don’t always manage our schedules well enough to get sufficient restful sleep. However, it’s important not to go too far above the recommended amounts for most days.
“The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Amidst grinding and hard work, take a break—rest if you can. Energize and be better for another tomorrow!
10. Have a nature walk
To improve your focus without using supplements, go out into nature once per week to spend some time alone. If you’re feeling up for it, go for a quick stroll through a nearby park. You may want to sit outside if you’re feeling stressed out. Natural environments offer benefits.
Increasing scientific evidence suggests that exposure to nature has a beneficial effect on human health. According to research. incorporating plants into offices helps improve employees’ focus, job satisfaction, and overall health and wellness.
Add some plants to your office or house for positive health benefits. If you don’t have a green thumb, succulent plants make good choices because they require less maintenance than most houseplants.
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