In the modern era of distraction there are reports that our attention span is close to that of a gold fish [1], 9 seconds. The distractions are all around us. Think about what you are doing right now. Say you are on your phone *PING* and reading this *PING* blog. As *PING* you are *PING* trying *PING PING* to concentrate *PING PING PING*.
Get the idea? Message alerts, new feed alerts, social media alerts, email alerts are all battling in a never ending war to get our attention. This is because modern environment has opened us to seeing and hearing a lot more but this has led to us being more distracted and less able to focus on a task. But it doesn’t have to be like this! Below are 7 tips on how to improve your focus.
Procrastination is your arch enemy
Remember what it was like when you were studying for an exam and you’d look for any tiny excuse to not study. “Oh, I suddenly have the urge to find that pen I dropped under the bed 6 months ago”. Before you know it, 3 hours have past. At work it could be checking social media or having a conversation with a colleague just to pass the time. Avoid this by keep repeating to yourself how procrastination is the enemy. Physically write down “I will not procrastinate”, not on a chalkboard like Bart Simpson but on a sticky note and keep it in sight.
Studies show that people who physically write down a commitment and have it visible to the public are more likely to stick to that commitment than those who mentally or secretly make a commitment [2].
Plan and visualise
It is difficult to focus on what you need to do if you don’t know where you’re going. Imagine as a Project Manager you was instructed to save the project money. For one, it is not clear what you are supposed to do. However, because you want to deliver, behaviour dictates that you will act to ‘do something’. But what?
Now imagine that you was instructed to reduce cost by 100k, from the design phase of a project within 2 years, you know what the goal is. You can also visualise a much clearer vision – Blog coming soon on communication).
A plan can then be put in place so that whenever you feel yourself or your team losing focus you can revert back to the plan and visualise the goal.
Ignore the cute dog sleeping. Focus.
Reduce distractions
Sticking with the ‘humans are now fishes’ theme, here are 5 simple tips to reduce distractions:
- Set your phone to Do Not Disturb/ Air plane mode
- Use writing tools like Zen Pen or Calmly Writer
- Book a meeting room for uninterrupted work
- Put your headphones in (even if you aren’t playing any music)
- Learn to say no (blog coming soon on the importance of knowing how to say no)
Think positive
The power of positivity can work wonders. When undertaking a task, menial or monumental, focus on the benefits of the task. Avoid think about how the task is cumbersome, pointless or difficult. Instead, when you start to lose focus, think about how this task benefits you, the team and the business.
Eliminating the pessimistic view on the scenario and focusing on the positive will lift your mood and trick your brain into being more productive. Blog on the Law of Attraction coming soon.
Take a break
Studies in psychology show that your brain waves consist of alpha and beta waves. Alpha waves are associated with the brain being awake but not attentive, and beta waves are associated with your brain being present and alert [3] [4]. Your brain, when focused, is in beta mode but typically your moves to alpha mode for 10 minutes in every 60 minutes. Essentially you are present in body but not in mind.
Once you are self aware of this, taking regular short breaks become important in helping you maintain focus. A suggestion is to take a short 5 minute break every 20-25 minutes. This is similar to the Pomodoro technique. See blog on 5 tips on how to work efficiently.
Mix it up
Hitting a brick wall can often feel like you have literally hit a brick wall. If you are struggling to focus, don’t try to force your way through. Change the task you are doing to give your mind a break. However, do not let the first task slip into the too hard box. Allocate a time slot to restart this activity.
How to reference this page
- Toor, J. (2019). ‘6 tips on how to focus’. Available at:
https://pmgrowth.co/6-tips-of-how-to-focus?/
References
- Hogstead, S. (2014). How the world sees you. Harper Business. Har/Psc edition. New York.
- Cialdini, R.B. (2007). Influence: the psychology of persuasion. Harper Collins. 3rd edn. New York.
- Scientific America. (2019). What is the function of the various brainwaves?. Available: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/.
- Brain Waves. (2019). What are brainwaves?. Available: https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves.