Do you have a lot on your mind right now? It can be a huge struggle to maintain focus at work due to what’s going on in the world. Or perhaps you are easily distracted in general and welcome any tips and tricks to help you stay focused. These tools will keep you focused!
Plan out your day right when you begin your shift.
As soon as you get to work each morning, write out the three most important tasks you need to complete. Figure out what works best for you in regards to planning. Does a to-do list keep you on track? How about an hourly work schedule? It might be something else entirely. Either way, figure out what helps keep you productive and stick to it.
Write everything down.
When you’re planning your day out in the morning, it can be easy to refrain from writing anything down and to promise yourself that you’ll keep the ideas in your head. It is far too easy to forget those ideas later on in the day, especially when new tasks and big projects are thrown your way. Get a sassy notepad or organizational notes so everything is written down and you can keep track all day, every day.
Tune out and tune in to work.
Everyone has that one coworker that chews too loud or never stops talking. Investing in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones will save you from unnecessary distractions. Cancellation headphones can block out the sound of coworkers and other office noises while sending the message that you want to keep to yourself. Listening to natural sounds or soothing instrumentals can help you focus too.
Block distracting sites.
Block sites that are distracting and stay off social media during the workday. As you work, you’ll notice yourself losing energy and your mind struggling to focus. When this happens, the temptation to hop onto a distracting site, like Facebook, overcomes you. The things is, these sites don’t rejuvenate you; they continue to drain your brain’s energy because you have to process a lot of information. Give your mind an actual break and block sites using a tool like Cold Turkey.
Take regular breaks.
Like we mentioned above, it’s incredibly important to take regular breaks. It’s going to be far more difficult to focus all day if you’re not giving your brain any time to rest and reset. Fifteen-minute breaks where you completely unplug and step away from your computer are the most beneficial. Go talk to a coworker, go for a brisk walk, make a pot of coffee, or listen to a few minutes of your favorite podcast or album.
Let yourself fidget.
You’ve seen kids playing with fidget spinners like it’s a game, but there’s some science behind them and other tools like fidget cubes. Humans fidget naturally one way or another, whether they bite their fingernails, wiggle their foot incessantly, or click their pen. Fidgeting can actually help your brain focus by occupying the part of your brain that wants to wander and distract the rest of your brain. A fidget spinner or fidget cube can prevent your mind from straying to obsessive thoughts or unrelated work tasks.