A recent study has revealed that almost 50% of American people who work in an office will work for 15 minutes before being distracted by something else than work. Attention span varies between people and it depends of a multitude of factors, but it has been proved that teens and people in their early 20’s are have a harder time to stay focused than adults do. In an earlier article, we gave you a list of 10 foods that will help you concentrate and now it’s time for some tips to stay focused, because no matter what your field of work is, you will need a bit of help to stay focused.
10. Identify the Problem
The first thing you need to do is to identify the problem, the thing that is causing you to lack focus. Are you tired? Are you hungry? Are you addicted to Facebook or are you simply lacking motivation to work. Think hard before coming up with an answer and the moment you have it, things will be a bit clearer and you’ll know how to work towards focusing better.
9. Make a Plan
The man with the plan always succeeds. Before you start your work in the morning, think about how your day is going to be like. Envision it and even write things down. What things need to be done that day? What do you want to accomplish? Set your goals and you’ll see how much focused you’ll be after you do it.
8. Coffee Anyone?
When all else fails, it’s great to have a trusted friend to turn to. And what better friend than coffee? Coffee will help you stay focused and provide you with enough fuel to start things and even finish them. If you don’t like coffee, you can always try some green or black tea. They have the same effect and are much healthier.
7. Motivate Yourself
Motivation is everything when it comes to work. If the big picture isn’t providing enough motivation for you, then you should try a small reward system. For example, I’ll finish this task and then I’ll get a cookie! We’re animals after all and we all enjoy a little simple motivation from time to time.
6. Eat a Healthy and Nutritious Breakfast
The best way to start your day is with a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Your stomach will thank you and you’ll have enough energy to do all the things that need doing that day. Try to eat as healthy as possible and we beg of you to skin fried foods, such as fried eggs, bacon or sausages. Those things may taste good, but your body sure doesn’t appreciate them.
5. Time!
Instead of planning to work until you finish something, look at the clock and plan to work until a certain hour. This will take some of the pressure off and it will help you stay focused. This is probably one of the best tips to stay focused we have for you. Time is everything when it comes to working.
4. Take Tiny Breaks
Some may think that it’s counterproductive, but taking tiny breaks really does help you focus more. When working, some people enter a zone that simply helps them stay focused, but that’s not the case with everybody and it’s certainly not true for every task you need to do. Take a tiny break, to have an apple or go outside and walk for a couple of minutes.
3. Use an App
You could always use an app to help you monitor or ban certain focus-breaking websites. One such app is called Focus and it helps block the websites that you tell it to block. If you cannot go on Facebook, then you’re less likely to waste a couple of hours a day surfing the web. We warn you, knowing how much time you spend mindlessly surfing the web is really going to shock you.
2. Work Offline
Think about how many work disruptions come from the fact that you’re connected to the internet. Incoming personal mails, likes, posts, timelines, Pinterest and so on and so forth! If your work involves the internet, try our number 3 suggestion, but if it doesn’t, then go ahead and work offline. Only go online with a specific purpose in mind.
1. Clean Up Your Workspace
Some people cannot even start their work unless their workplace is clean and everything is tucked away neatly. Even if you’re not one of those persons, you can benefit from having a clean desk. No more distractions, no more annoying clutter! Keep it simple and you will stay focused better.
Did you enjoy our tips to stay focused? Are you going to use any of these? Do you have any more tips that you would like to share with us and our readers? Drop us a line in the comment section below, we would love to hear from you!
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