These 5 Tips Will Help you Stay Focused and Concentrate at Work

The ability to stay focused and pay full attention at work are two essential skills needed to be productive. The more focused you are, the more productive and successful you’ll be, and the less focused you are, the less productive you’ll be.

We can’t deny there are moments when our minds have a mind of their own – not with all the many distractions that surround us. It is estimated that people, on average, check their phones every 12 minutes while awake. At every turn, people are faced with notifications buzzing around them, making it difficult to focus. A Microsoft study has shown that the average person has an attention span of eight seconds – lesser than that of a goldfish.

Let’s look at some practical tips to help you stay focused and get rid of those distractions:

breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Without it, it would be difficult to concentrate at work and improve your memory. Breakfast supplies your body with glucose to boost your energy levels to get things done and helps you stay alert and focused.  Eat foods that are high in proteins and low in carbs to give you a steady supply of energy throughout the day.

Get enough sleep

If you find yourself dozing at work, then you aren’t getting enough sleep. The quality and quantity of sleep you get play a major role in your ability to concentrate and stay focused at work. Sleep deprivation robs you of the opportunity to excel at work, and negatively affects your work performance.  Ensure you get enough sleep.

Don’t indulge in coffee

Science has shown that coffee helps to increase energy levels and keeps you at alert. People say it gets their bodies ready for action and improves their mood. But coffee should not be your productivity saviour, making you dependent on caffeine. Too much caffeine can have the opposite effect on your body, causing you to be nervous and jittery at work. Take little sips of coffee throughout the day, or ditch it for some herbal teas.

A task at a time

Remember you aren’t superman and you’ve got no superpowers to do multiple tasks simultaneously. Break down your projects into smaller manageable tasks, and tackle them according to their set time estimates, priorities, and deadlines. This will help you stay focused on a task at hand, maintain your productivity and you’ll find yourself completing your work on time.

Have a distraction list

What are your major distractions? Chatty co-workers, emails, phone buzzes, office noise, social media, and unnecessary meetings are some office distractions that can make you less productive and effective. Write your distractions and find ways to tackle them. You could set times for checking your emails, put your phone on offline or put it in a place your hand can’t easily reach and turn off notifications from your social media platforms.

Another tip is to complete your present task and then address those distractions later – these distractions could even be your thoughts. You could also purchase a noise cancellation headphone to help you get rid of unwanted noise.

Have a productive week.

***

Featured images: istockphoto