Tips For Reducing Distractions and Increasing Your Focus
It is super easy for most people to get distracted. Social media, Netflix and conversations in the hallway at work all contribute towards taking away our focus when we need to get work done.
To improve your chances of remaining focused it might be a good idea to write done two or three things you wanted to get completed the following day just before you go to bed at night.
Eventually, you can come back to the more difficult parts, and hopefully by then it’ll have come to you or you’ll have built up enough momentum that it won’t break your focus if you work on it.
Here are some tips to reduce your chances of getting distracted and increase your chances of getting more work done.
Have A Plan For The Following Day Organised The Night Before
It would be advised that you do these two or three things before you before check your emails, return phone calls or scroll through your social media feeds since doing these tasks can easily hijack the start of your day and zap your productivity.
Turn Off Your Notifications to Minimise Distractions
To increase your focus, you should turn off all your notifications on your smartphones and desktops applications. Consider checking email only four times per day and handling each inquiry only once. Controlling your devices, and not having that technology control you, may help minimise your distractions and increase your focus.
Make Sure You Feel Comfortable in The Environment You Work In
If you place yourself in a comfortable environment you are guaranteed in most cases to become more product. Finding comfort could be determined by a lot of things such as; the clothes you wear, the chair you sit on, the music you listen to and the temperature of the room you are working in. Knowing what environment makes you comfortable yet focused at the same time can help you maintain focus through the work day.
Stay Focused Whilst You Are in The Office
Instead of trying to ignore distractions such as strong cooking smells or loud colleagues, get away from the problem. Set yourself up in an empty meeting room to regain your focus. Wear noise-cancelling headphones, or play "white noise," to block out anything that would otherwise grab your attention.
Take Regular Breaks So You Don’t Burn Out
It is essential to take regular breaks to move your body, get something to drink or eat, do something different and change the pace. When you’re on a break, use it to re-charge and rejuvenate yourself. When that break is over, you can go back into a focused mindset.
Write Your Thoughts Down In A Notepad
Keep a notebook handy next to you. If something comes to mind, jot it down quickly to deal with later and get back to the task in hand.
Visualise Yourself Working Before You Start Work
Visualisation is a very powerful tool. Olympic sprinters use this technique to significant effect, usually by working backwards. They imagine themselves winning at first, and then they act out the whole process in reverse, feeling and visualizing each step all the way to the beginning. This technique can be utilised to help enhance the quality of your work in the office.
Skip What You Don’t Know and Go Back to It Later
If you hit a roadblock in your work, it would be wise to come back to it later as you learn how to not get distracted. Focus your attention on what you can do first to keep working mindlessly at all costs. It is important to maintain positive momentum and focus on the easy parts first.
