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The ability to work in a focused way is crucial for productivity. But why is it sometimes so hard to concentrate? In this post I discuss five common reasons that you may have difficulty focusing. I also share 11 simple things you can do for improving focus at work.
YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED
Some projects or tasks just make you feel overwhelmed. Since you’re not sure how to approach the problem, it’s hard to work in a focused way. Instead of feeling in control you may experience fear, anxiety and frustration. So what can you do?
1. Get Your Emotions Under Control for Improving Focus at Work
It’s ok to feel how you do. Recognize your feelings, but don’t immerse yourself in them. For example, you can tell yourself, “I’m angry, but I’m in charge here, not my emotions”. Try to pivot your focus onto something else such as your breathing. Once you stop thinking about how overwhelmed you feel, you can begin to consider things more logically and less emotionally.
2. Break the Task Down into Smaller Parts
After you’ve calmed down, break the task down into smaller subtasks. Then begin to work on one “piece of the puzzle” at a time. Your motivation will increase and you’ll feel more confident in your ability to reach your goal.
Another approach is to consider what task would bring you the greatest results. Work on that first. In this way you prioritize high impact tasks that bring you closest to your goal.
YOU’RE MULTITASKING
When trying to multitask, you often feel like you’re distracted. What you perceive as not being able to focus is your brain trying to focus on too many things at once. The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision making, planning, short-term memory and motivation craves novelty.
When you respond to distractions and try to juggle several things at once, hormones (enkephalins and endorphins) surge the reward seeking part of the brain. Hence, it becomes addicting to check your social media, answer the email that just came or scroll through the latest news. For this reason you’re more likely to work on several inconsequential tasks, rather than focus on a more complex, substantial task.
On the surface multitasking seems rewarding, but in reality, it’s quite harmful. When you focus on one task, the two halves of your prefrontal cortex work in sync. When multitasking, they work independently. To you it seems like you’re working on things at the same time, but you’re really just switching between the two sides of your prefrontal cortex. For this reason, multitasking causes the brain to burn through its cognitive resources (your brain uses up more glucose) making you more tired and prone to mistakes. It also causes your body to release more stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) which over time can negatively impact your health.
Not only is multitasking mentally and physically taxing, it’s also inefficient. You’ll need up to 40% longer to get everything done.
3. Get Organized and Work on One Thing at a Time
One way to get organized is to identify the most important tasks and work on them one after the other. If you get stuck trying to prioritize just start with anything. Make a to-do list and work your way from the top to the bottom. However, don’t fall into the temptation to just work on the “easy tasks”.
Another way to decide what you should work on first is to pick the most difficult thing or that task you don’t really want to do. This is known as “eating the frog”.
You can also time block. Decide when and for how long you will work on each task.
The Pomodoro Technique is also effective for countering multitasking and improving focus at work. This technique helps you to focus by alternating between periods of concentrated work and rest:
- Pick a task
- Set a timer for 25 minutes
- Work in a concentrated way until the time is up
- Take a 5-minute break
- Repeat and with the fourth repetition take a 15 to 30 minute break
No matter what strategy you use, the point is to get organized and then work on one thing at a time.
YOU’RE MENTALLY DRAINED
Another reason for lack of focus is that you’ve been focusing too much and your brain needs a break.
Based on research in neuroscience, cognitive functioning is the result of communication between networks of widespread brain regions. Two core networks that are crucial for laser like focus include the Central Executive Network (CEN) and Default Mode Network (DMN).
The CEN is active when you’re solving problems, thinking, and focusing. When you’re not concentrating on anything and your mind begins to wander, the DMN is active. This network is responsible for spontaneous thinking (including distracting thoughts and creative thinking). The DMN is very active: it goes back and forth between the past, present and future, reminds you of old memories and combines various ideas. That’s the reason that during times of mind wandering you sometimes get your most creative ideas and come up with the best solutions.
The brain works the best when it switches between focus and unfocus (CEN and DMN). When this is the case you develop more resilience, are more creative and make better decisions.
The problem with focusing too long is that the focus circuits in your brain become exhausted. As a result, you get tired and can lose self-control. In the work context this means you’re more prone to make mistakes and the quality of your decision making suffers. You also tend to become less collaborative.
If you just can’t concentrate anymore, don’t force yourself to push through. Use the following tips to activate the DMN so that you can rejuvenate your mind for improving focus at work.
4. Experiment with Positive Constructive Daydreaming (PCD)
PCD is a special kind of mind-wandering that is characterized by pleasant thoughts, planning, vivid and wishful imagery, and curiosity. It’s a more deliberate way of spacing out. You focus specifically on something positive / enjoyable while doing a low attention task like walking, casual reading or cleaning.
You gradually shift your attention from the outside world to your thoughts. For example, while taking a walk you begin to explore how you will reach your goal or come up with a creative solution to a problem. Research shows practicing PCD can boost your creativity and enhance your well-being.
5. Make Rest a Priority for Improving Focus at Work
One of the best things you can do for imrpoving focus at work is to get a good night’s sleep. Even a 10 minute nap between tasks is enough to clear away some mental fog. For creative tasks your brain needs about 90 minutes of rest to get ready for peak performance.
YOU’RE BORED
Another reason that you can’t focus is you’re bored. You start to work on a project and then space out. Or you end up working on something else. We all have tasks that are not mentally engaging but are necessary. The following tips are helpful for improving focus at work when your tasks are boring.
6. Use Tangential Immersion
Pair boring tasks with tasks that use up your excess attention. This strategy is referred to as tangential immersion.
Our mind seeks to be engaged. That’s the reason we get bored when we work on something that requires less attention than we have available. However, if we do something else at the same time to occupy our excess attention, we’re more likely to be persistent and complete the boring task. This only works if the two activities occupy most of but not more than our total attentional capacity.
For example, I like to listen to music when I clean my desk. This helps me to get the job done without thinking about how much I hate it. Walking around during a phone call helps me to concentrate better on what the other person is saying.
7. Make Doing the Task More Enjoyable for Improving Focus at Work
Although the task itself is boring, it’s possible to make it more enjoyable to work on. For example, you can sip away on your favorite drink while working on the task to get a little motivation kick. This brings a little joy to an otherwise mundane to-do.
8. Make the Task More Meaningful for Improving Focus at Work
One way to increase your motivation to do a boring task is to build an association in your mind that links the boring task with something that is meaningful to you. For example, I don’t like the administrative work involved with coordinating interviews. But if I just get it done, I can:
- have more time to focus on my employer branding project, which is something I really enjoy
- stop work early and go for a jog
- get home on time and work on my side hustle
Another way to make a boring task more meaningful is to consider how it fits into a larger set of tasks to realize a broader goal. By viewing your task as a puzzle piece that completes the whole picture, you can recognize the true value of your contribution. This strategy is referred to as superordinate framing.
Based on Gestalt principles in psychology, people consider the same objects more valuable when they belong to a set. In one study participants reported greater joy and meaning for menial tasks when they saw how their tasks connected with other participants’ tasks to reach a greater goal.
9. Give Yourself Less Time for Improving Focus at Work
Another reason you may get bored with certain tasks is you have too much time to work on them. Because you’re not under enough pressure, you get easily distracted and end up taking much longer to get the task done than necessary.
Parkinson’s law states that work expands to fill the time allocated to it. Individually we can take steps to reduce the effects of Parkinson’s law on our productivity and focus so that we have more time for things that matter to us. Consider how long you need to finish a certain task. Now try reducing the time by 25%.
For example, it takes me an average of about 8 hours to publish a blog article. In the future, I’ll give myself 6 hours. You’ve got to find out what is realistic in your situation. Eventually you’ll hit the sweet spot between having too much and too little time.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS DISTRACTING
The points we’ve covered so far mainly have to do with taming the mind and getting organized. This is crucial for improving focus, but it’s just as important to eliminate distractions in your environment. In other words, focusing your attention takes more than just channeling your cognitive resources into a single goal. It requires blocking out distractions.
10. Eliminate Distractions for Improving Focus at Work
Consider, what are the things in your environment that eat up your time and make it difficult for you to concentrate. One of the most common distractions is obviously the temptation to constantly check social media or other websites.
If your phone is problematic, leave it in your bag or drawer. Check messages only during your lunch break or at scheduled times. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” is very fitting for our phone use.
If you’re especially tempted by certain websites, try using an app or software to limit the time you’re “allowed” to view the website each day.
11. Set Boundaries
Let’s say you have a colleague that constantly interrupts you with questions or small talk. Find a way to set a healthy boundary. Don’t be unfriendly, but make it clear that you need to get your work done.
For example, you can ask your colleague to bundle their questions so that you can talk about everything at once. As a result, you’ll have more time to help them in a concentrated way during a set time.
If your colleague often talks with you to the point that it interferes with work, think of different exit strategies in advance. For instance:
- Tell them directly that it was nice to catch up, but you need to get back to work
- Prepare them to stop by letting them know that you need to get back to work in a few minutes
- Make them aware of your approaching deadline. You can say, “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a deadline and need to keep working on my project.”
- Talk with them when you have just a few minutes until your next commitment. That way there is a hard cut and you won’t get entangled in a long conversation.
- Suggest another time to finish the conversation. You can say, “I’d like to keep talking, but need to get back to work. How about we finish our talk during lunch?”
You can also set boundaries by scheduling blocks for concentrated work. Then make it clear that you don’t want to be disturbed during these times. Talk with your colleagues in a transparent, friendly way. Ask them to help you increase your work productivity by honoring your focus time. Make it a team effort!
Regardless of how you do it, the point is to take back control of your time. Then others can’t stop you from focusing.
Summary for Improving Focus at Work
In this post I covered five common reasons that you may have difficulty concentrating. I also shared 11 things you can do to immediately improve your focus.
You Feel Overwhelmed
If you’re overwhelmed it’s hard to focus on the task, because you’re distracted by feelings of anxiety and helplessness.
First, it’s important to get your emotions under control. Realize it’s ok to feel this way, but don’t indulge your feelings. Focus on something else like your breathing.
After calming down, approach the task methodically. Break it down into smaller pieces and work on one part at a time.
You’re Multitasking
When multitasking your brain is trying to focus on too many things at once. Multitasking drains your cognitive resources. It’s also highly ineffective – you actually take longer to get your tasks done.
Work on one task at a time. There are several techniques you can use to help you with this.
- Prioritize your tasks and start with the most important one
- If it’s hard to prioritize make a to-do list and work your way from top to bottom
- Work on the most difficult thing first
- Time Block
- Pick a task and get it done using the pomodoro method
You’re Mentally Drained
If you’ve been focusing for an extended period, it’s likely that you’re mentally tired.
Your brain works best when it can switch between periods of focus and unfocus. To achieve this try using the positive constructive daydreaming (PCD) technique. This kind of deliberate mind-wandering helps restore your mental resources and boosts creativity.
In general its important to prioritze rest. When sleep deprived it’s harder to concentrate. If you’re tired, try taking a ten-minute nap to help you focus better.
You’re Bored
If the task is not mentally demanding enough, you can do something to occupy your excess attention like listening to music or an audio book.
You can also associate the task with something meaningful and motivating. For example, if I get done quickly, I can stop work a little early and go for a jog.
Another way to enhance meaning is to reflect on how your task connects with other colleagues’ tasks to reach a broader goal.
If you work better under pressure, try giving yourself less time to complete a task. Having this positive stress will motivate you to work in a concentrated and efficient way.
Your Environment is Distracting
To improve focus, you not only have to tame the mind and get organized, but it’s important to eliminate distractions in your environment.
Consider what things waste your time the most and learn to set boundaries. You may have to put your phone out of sight and limit how often your colleagues can interrupt you.
If you need help honing your focus so that you can be more productive at work, feel free to reach out to me here. We’ll work on building sustainable systems that are easy to integrate into your daily routine.
References
https://www.apa.org/topics/research/multitasking
https://www.creativitypost.com/article/the_brain_as_a_network_focusing_your_network
https://hbr.org/2017/12/what-to-do-when-youre-feeling-distracted-at-work
https://hbr.org/2017/05/your-brain-can-only-take-so-much-focus
https://todoist.com/de/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique
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