3 Tricks for Staying Focused - What You Need to Know

Most of us have so much on our plates that we tend to lose focus. It is tough to stay focused with the constant steam of clients, employees, phone calls and emails calling out and demanding our attention but did you know that just by understanding the limitations of the brain and working around it can improve one’s focus and increase one’s productivity? 

Our brains have long been attuned with distraction but the digital environment today makes it even harder to focus. Distractions are considered as an alert for the brain saying,“Orient your attention here! It could be dangerous.” It is an automatic and also virtually unstoppable reaction of the brain. 

Although one can take pride on his multitasking skill, it can have a downside as well. It can literally drop one’s IQ because mistakes are more likely as subtle cues are missed, accidentally flying off handles and spelling things wrong.

In order to sustain a healthy brain, try these 3 tricks for staying focused. 

1. Prioritize creative work. 

Usually we do the work that uses less brain exertion and then build it up to the tough tasks. Doing this lowers your focus and drains your energy. Every decision that one makes is a consumption of the brain’s energy making it tired even after mindless work. 

Reverse the order so you’d focus effectively. Tasks that require your brain or concentration should be checked off first and done in the morning. Move on to the easier ones as you go through the day like scheduling meetings or deleting emails. 

2. Allocate time deliberately.

According to recent studies, one can truly focus for only an average of six hours a week. That means in those hours, you'd have to be really diligent. 

Some people work best at night or in the morning and there is a study that says people think better when they are outside the office. Keep an eye on yourself on where and when you can focus best and use those time for the toughest tasks you have to accomplish. 

3. Train the mind like a muscle.

The brain is quick to adapt if multitasking is really a norm. If distractions have become a habit, you’ll lose the ability to focus faster than those who have trained their brain to focus more often. 

Practice concentration gradually at least once a day by turning off a distraction when doing a single task. Five minutes a day is enough and just work on building it up as soon as you go on with it. It is like getting fit. You build the muscle to shape it in your favor.