How to stay focused throughout the day
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8 Tips to stay focused throughout the day
Here are 8 habits that, when applied correctly, will help you to greatly improve your focus until, eventually; you are able to stay productive throughout the day.1. Understand that your energy fluctuates
When I started in the work place, one of the first pieces of time management advice that I got was to work at an even pace throughout the day. There is a major problem with this; your physical and mental energy levels do not flow evenly throughout the day. They experience peaks and troughs e.g. at the start of the day, I have high energy levels; but as I approach lunch and, just after, my energy levels start to plummet. If you want to stay focused throughout the day, you need to assign tasks which require a lot of energy to periods of time where you have high energy. Your low energy times can then be used to complete tasks which require low energy levels. This approach will help you to stay focused and lead to greater productivity.
2. Choose the right location
If you want to stay focused throughout the day, you need to create a working environment which discourages and reduces unnecessary interruptions. While it may be acceptable to hold a friendly business lunch in a crowded restaurant; your most important tasks will require a great deal of concentration. A quiet environment is a must. During especially important tasks, you can take extra precautions to minimise interruptions, e.g.:
- Turn off your phone
- Turn off your email
- Place a do not disturb sign on your door
- Notify your colleagues that you are not to be contacted for the next period of time.
3. Increase your focus gradually
If you have been struggling to stay focused; it will require some time and effort to build up your concentration levels and your ability to focus. It is very difficult to jump from zero focus to being able to stay focused throughout the day, in one step. Instead, you can set yourself smaller objectives e.g. stay focused on a task for 25 minutes before you take a 5 minute break. Over time as you get better, you can increase the period of time that you wish to stay focused for.
4. Take short breaks
In the previous point, I mentioned the need to build up the length of time that you can stay focused for, but trying to work through the whole day without proper breaks will lead to stress and burnout. Rather than increase your productivity, you will become less productive as you get tired and drain all your energy. Regular breaks of up to 5 minutes will help you to regain your energy and focus. You will then be better able to stay focused on your task when you return to work; until your next break.
I would recommend aiming for 45 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break. During that 5 minutes, do something completely different from the task that you were working on e.g. if you have been sitting at a desk, do something that involves movement as it will then feel like a proper break for both body and mind. You can still perform a task on your break (except lunch break), if you wish, but choose something completely different e.g. I like to make phone calls on my break as I always walk about while on the phone.
5. Alter your hours to suit
If you are in a position to choose your own working hours, then you should consider adapting them to give you a little time each day where nobody can interrupt you. My first boss used to arrive at work at 7:30 a.m. even though he was not due in until 9. I asked him why he did this and he replied ‘during that 90 minutes, there is nobody to interrupt me and I can get a lot of work done, giving me a tremendous start to the day’. When he said that there was nobody to interrupt him, he did not just mean colleagues and management. He meant customers too. Customers didn’t start calling or emailing until after 9 so they could not disrupt him either.
Note: Working some time outside of regular hours is not intended to add to your working week. You should be able to take that time back elsewhere.
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6. Make a note and move on
It is very easy to become distracted by little thoughts when you are performing tasks. Our brains are great for remembering things but unfortunately, we rarely get a reminder at the moment when we actually need it. You can probably think of times when you were in a meeting and you remembered something that you had forgotten to do. If you focus on that item, you are not going to focus on the meeting which means that you now have 2 tasks which are not getting done properly.
Instead, make a note of the item then, at your first free moment, you can take action to deal with it. When you are completing a task and, another task enters your mind, make a note and move on. Depending on where you are you could write it on a notepad, email it to yourself, call your own voicemail and leave a message or any other method which works for you. The important thing is that you swiftly capture that thought and then return your focus to the task at hand.
7. Email, phone, face to face
Just one conversation can throw you completely off track for the day. While it is great to be sociable with your colleagues, there is a time and place for friendly banter. If you spend your working day in conversation; how much valuable work are you actually getting done? I’m a Coach and yet if I spent my whole day in conversation, I would have fallen behind on a lot of my work. Many people lose out on valuable, productive time because they get distracted by conversations which are not that important.
One of the best ways to stop personal interaction becoming a major problem is to manage the way you communicate. Rather than rush into face to face conversations which can drag on, you should first attempt to handle the discussion via email. If email cannot get the job done, try the phone as it is easier to keep the discussion on track and you can choose when to end the discussion. The face to face meeting should be the last resort as it takes more time and easily gets sidetracked. Stay focused and avoid unnecessary interruptions by choosing the most effective medium for your discussions.
8. Focus on importance
The more you value a task, the more likely you are to stay focused on it. If you do not think that a task is important, you will jump at any opportunity to be distracted. Your resources e.g. time, money, energy; are limited so, it is essential that you make the most of them. To do this you have to stay focused on the tasks which are most important and will bring you the best results. Many people move from easy task to easy task. This gives them a sense of achievement as they tick more tasks off of their to-do list. Unfortunately, it rarely brings them the results and rewards they are looking for.
If you want to achieve your objectives, you must first identify your most important goals and objectives. You must then identify all of the reasons why these goals are so important. You can then identify the tasks which will help you to achieve these objectives and, make them a priority in your time management. You will find it easier to stay focused on these items by reminding yourself of their importance and the benefits that await once you achieve them.
For more powerful advice to improve your focus and organisation, check out The Modern Professional's Guide to Organisation and Focus.
To maximise your productivity, you need to be able to stay focused throughout the day. When you stay focused throughout the day, you are consistently completing tasks which are taking you closer to achieving your goals and objectives. And, that is what time management and productivity are really about – achieving your objectives in the most effective manner. If you are struggling to remain focused, it may take you some time to learn to stay focused for the full day. That's fine. The important thing is that you take action to improve on your current focus and concentration levels. With each little improvement, the quantity and quality of your results will improve. Implement the steps, outlined above, and you will soon see the benefits.