Adjust Your Focus for Improved Productivity

Staying focused may require retraining your brain to get rid of old habits and adopt new ones. When you stay focused, you can get a lot more accomplished in both your personal and professional life. The question is, when life gets busy and crazy, how do we even begin the process of staying focused on the task at hand?

Here are four tips to help you get started:

1. Mentally Prepare 

• Verbally speaking out loud and telling yourself you will be focused can be helpful. Sometimes we need to be our own cheerleader.
• Be confident in your abilities. A positive and results oriented mindset will help you complete the task(s) ahead.

2. Get Organized

• At the end of your work day, spend a few minutes cleaning and organizing your space. This gives you a fresh start the next day.
• If your phone is not needed for work, put it away or on silent mode for a few hours. Notifications, texts and phone calls are common distractions in one’s work day. Each minute looking at your phone takes away from completing your tasks.

3. Make a List

• Each day, decide what you are going to work on. Setting goals provides clarity and improves productivity. Make your list at the beginning of the day, end of the day (for the next business day) or even beginning of the week.
• There’s something so satisfying about checking items off a list. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and can drive you to achieve even more. As you prioritize your list, consider placing the most challenging tasks first. Save the easier tasks for the end of the day when, for most of us, our energy is winding down.

4. Include Breaks

• A 5-10 minute break is recommended for every hour of work. This may be hard to do but it’s essential for giving your eyes (and brain) a rest. Take a short walk, grab a drink, or perform a quick exercise.
• If you’re notorious for spending hours at a time on a project, set a timer to remind yourself to take a break. When you’re so busy that there’s seemingly no time for a break, that’s when you need it most. Making a conscious effort to do so will pay off!

All of these suggestions are about adjusting your focus. Adjust yourself mentally to create a positive mindset. Adjust your physical space to stay organized and allow yourself to find the things you need. Adjust your task list to set goals and work towards achieving them. Lastly, taking breaks enables your body to better focus on everything and have the energy to do so. Implementing these will help you do and achieve more!

Be sure to reach out and let know how these tips worked for you. If you have some tips of your own that help you stay focused at work, please feel free to share with us!