Do you often find yourself spending time on your phone? Do you feel the urge to check social media or emails while working on important tasks? Then you may struggle with staying focused and look for tips on how to improve your focus and concentration.
Maintaining focus isn’t easy in today’s connected world. Your phone may keep ringing with new notifications. And you may want to check what your friends are up to via social media.
But being focused is important for a healthy and productive life.
Why You Should Learn to Stay Focused
Self-discipline and focus are the keys to success. With better focus, you are more likely to achieve your goals.
For instance, let’s assume you are assigned an important project at your job. You can carry out required tasks and meet deadlines through concentration. Also, you are less likely to miss important details.
The mental focus tends to increase productivity at work. You can perform tasks without getting distracted. This way, you won’t have to spend more time than required to finish tasks. And you can achieve a better work-life balance.
Get the Best Tips to Improve Your Concentration
Improving concentration at work improves the quality of your work and raises productivity. But staying focused can be a challenge in itself.
So, do you want to know how to improve your focus and concentration? Let’s explore some effective ways that can help you avoid distractions and get better at being focused.
· Create a Routine
Maintaining concentration is often difficult for office or outdoor workers. But it tends to be equally challenging for work-from-home employees.
Whether you’re an employee or self-employed, you should create a day-to-day schedule and to-do list. This will ensure you don’t forget important tasks. Also, prioritize them based on their urgency and importance. Make a list of tasks you need to finish early in the day. Then stick to this routine and try to finish due tasks on time.
When you log into your computer to log hours, you may want to check your emails. But this activity takes up lots of time and ruins your attention. So, it’s best not to check your emails first thing in the morning. You can do it later in the day like after lunch or before clocking out.
· Work in a Calm Environment
Your environment directly affects your focus. Thus, choose an environment where you feel comfortable. This approach will help you stay focused at work.
But remember that the definition of a comfortable environment varies with your personality.
Some people become stressed in a loud and chaotic environment. Others may feel calm when there’s some background noise. This is why such people choose to work in office environments or busy coffee shops. You may find it easier to focus with good music.
If you prefer silence and quietness, then make your decision accordingly. You may be an introvert who feels comfortable in silence. If that’s the case, then you may want to work from the comfort of your home.
When you have the option to choose your workplace, then go for an option that you consider suitable. The right decision will elevate your performance.
· Take Healthy, On-Time Meals
Your diet affects your mental clarity. So, take healthy and nutritious meals that can support your body and mind.
Here are certain food items that can fuel your mental strength and focus:
- Fatty fish – salmon, tuna, Pollock, and cod
- Blueberries (These are rich in anti-oxidants)
- Eggs
- Green tea
- Nuts – Pistachios, almonds, and macadamias
- Dark chocolate
- Leafy greens
- Pumpkin seeds
Further, you should stay hydrated. Drink plenty of clean water and try to keep a water bottle with you.
Drinking water before every meal and during work breaks is also important. You can use smartphone apps such as Water Reminder, Hydro Coach, and Aqualert to keep track of hydration. The app can remind you to drink water when you forget it on hectic days.
· Don’t Compromise on Sleep
Lack of quality night sleep affects your alertness level. You may get confused and would struggle to understand simple reasoning. Further, poor sleep quality lowers your attention and makes it difficult to focus.
So, try not to compromise on your sleep. This is the basic rule for staying focused at work. You should ideally take 8 hours of sleep to stay healthy and fresh. With a fresh mind, you can focus better and finish due tasks without losing attention or getting irritated.
Not only does this habit make you a top performer but also has positive impacts on your health and personality.
· Take Breaks Throughout the Workday
Being a productive professional doesn’t mean you should work non-stop for 8 or more hours. Definitely not!
Overburdening yourself with work isn’t good for you. Rather, you can improve your focus by taking short breaks during work.
Instead of continuous stimulation of your brain, try to give it some rest. Take short breaks of 5-10 minutes after every hour or two. If you have a desk job, don’t just keep sitting. Move around when you go on a break.
Indulge in light exercises to stretch your body. And don’t forget to drink water during these breaks. Also, you can chat with coworkers for a short while to refresh your mind.
· Set a Timer
When a task is boring or complex, it’s easy to lose focus. But you don’t want that. So, use a timer to stay on schedule.
When starting a task, estimate the time you’d need to finish it well. Then set your timer for that duration. The timer will remind you when you need to finish your work. It keeps you in the zone and helps you maintain focus.
Similarly, when going on short breaks, use a timer. You may feel the urge to extend short breaks to 30-40 minutes. Or you may want to chat with others and use your phone. But the timer will bring in the accountability factor. This way, you can get back to work without wasting your precious time.
In Conclusion
Workplace distraction is a hard truth. Over 50% of the workforce gets distracted by their phones at work. Whether you work outdoors, in an office, or from your home office, staying focused is quite a task.
But maintaining focus is important for your performance. So, you should try out proven strategies to improve concentration at work. For this purpose, you should create a routine, set timer for tasks, and try not to procrastinate. You should also develop healthy lifestyle habits and reward yourself for your efforts.
So, how do you stay focused on your job? And which of our tips do you find most helpful? We are eager to hear your opinion in the comments section!