Stay productive every day.
Regardless of how professional you are, what position of power you hold in the company, or how ever many years you have been on the job, everyone gets distracted every now and then at work. It’s normal that in the course of the day, you will lose focus on your work and stray off course. However, when it starts to happen more and more is when your productivity can really start to take a hit. So if you need a few tips for blocking out the many distractions of the office and getting yourself refocused to the work at had, we’re here to help.
Set a task list.
The times when you really lose focus in work and drift away for long periods is when you are in between tasks. You finish the work at hand and then, before you can find the next task to tackle, your mind goes off in a different direction. As a way of combatting things problem, try taking away those thoughtful moments in between tasks. Start each day by creating a task list for the day, that way when one task is complete you have a whole list of things you can move on to next. If you have work to do, it leaves you less time to gets distracted.
Take breaks.
Of course, no matter how much work you have on your plate, eventually your mind will begin to wonder. Don’t think that overworking yourself will keep you focused, because if anything, it’s more likely to cause you to lose focus. Instead, give yourself breaks in your work where you can let your mind focus on something other than work for a few minutes. Do this every 90 minutes or so just to refresh your mind and get yourself ready to refocus on the work. Some people think breaks hurt productivity, but if they are used wisely they have shown to actually work the opposite.
Turn off electronic distractions.
These days, distractions come less when your mind wanders and more when your eyes wander to your phone. We are so attached to our devices these days that spending a few minutes absent-mindedly fooling around on your phone is too easy. Be honest, how many times in a day do you pick up your phone to check your texts and end up spending 5-10 minutes on it. As a strategy, turn off these distracting devices when you’re at your desk. Turn off the internet as well if you don’t need it for work and you’ll likely find you’re saving quite a bit of time in the day.
Keep a routine.
As mentioned before, distractions breed when decisions need to be made. You can be working along fine, then pause for a thought and see significant time get eaten away as your mind wanders. The thing is that it is very hard to recognize when you’re going off track, but one way to help keep yourself on task is by creating an internal clock for yourself. Set up a daily routine and stick to it strictly. This way, when you begin to lose focus and veer off schedule, you’ll recognize it more quickly and get back to work.
Find ways of relaxing.
The truth is that when you are finding it especially hard to concentrate, it probably means you need to step away from work for a moment. This doesn’t mean you can embrace not focusing, but the reality is that you won’t be getting much work done until you sort things out. Back away from the work for a few minutes and allow yourself to relax. Pick some music that mellows you out, go for a quick walk – anything to clear your mind or allow you to spend a few moments with those thoughts that keep distracting you. Without addressing it for a few moments it will just continue to pull you out of your work.
Find the right work location.
Where you do your work can have a great effect on your focus. While some people like to switch up their work station regularly, it has been show that maintaining a consistent space helps keep you focused on work. Also, while some people prefer to work surrounded by other, like in a café, when you’re having trouble staying focused on work, a little peace and quiet can really help. And, of course, keeping your workspace clean of clutter can help prevent your mind for wandering too much.
Be aware of what distracts you.
A little self-awareness can also be of great help for keeping you focused on work. If you’re able to recognize what is causing you to lose focus, what is taking your attention off your work, then you can address it more precisely. You can remove distractions, improve the way you work and maintain your focus more effectively going forward.