Quick ideas to increase your focus

Have you had moments where you were so distracted that nothing got done?

Perhaps, these were moments where you were struggling to focus on work, staring blindly at your blinking cursor yet unable to do anything. 

You may have even succumbed to the shiny pull of social media or games on your phone.

I know I have, and it wasn’t great.

I was usually overcome with guilt. Guilt over wasted time and wasted opportunity. Not because these activities were inherently bad but because they were not the things I wanted or needed to do.

Have you ever experienced this?

If you have, then you probably want to do better.

One of the realities of today’s world is that we are suffering from an attention epidemic. It’s becoming harder to spend meaningful time on the things that matter.

Of course, there are different reasons for this – some argue that information overload is the cause. Others believe that our fear of missing out has us constantly thinking of other things when we are working, making focus impossible.

Rather than getting bogged down with the reasons why (which I hope to touch on another day) here are 10 things you can do.

10 crazy effective ideas for when you can’t focus

The next time you’re struggling with work and can’t seem to move past the first page of that report you’re writing, here are some things to do:

1. Take a break

Take a few minutes to just be. You can use this time for some deep breathing exercises to help you stay centered; check your thought process. Self-awareness is key.

A good way is to remember your why.

Why are you doing that task? why are you so distracted? Perhaps you’re distracted because you have a lot on your mind. Use this time to declutter your mind. For example, you can do a brain dump – write out all the things on your mind. Getting them out of your head can make room for you to focus on work.

 

2. Walk

Get up and move around. Walking provides an opportunity for your mind to process things, while also getting some exercise in.

 

3. Pray

“Pray without ceasing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

From experience, praying has been an effective remedy against a distracted mind. To turbocharge your time, you can go on a prayer walk (this is one of my favorite things).

 

4. Nap

In our forever ‘on’ world, there are times when all we need is a few minutes of some shut-eye to rejuvenate our minds and bodies. Listen to your body, a sleep-deprived person will always struggle with focus.

 

5. Connect

This is a good time to call or reach out to your friends and family. Organize meet-ups or take up other bonding activities.

 

6. Exercise

Move your body. Exercise. This will not only improve your mood but also your health and appearance. A quick 10-minute workout can help stave off lethargy and tiredness.

 

7. Run errands

A lack of focus on your work can present an opportunity to run any important/urgent errands.

Okay, I know that there are times when running errands is the worst use of our time. But this depends, do those you can and delegate the rest.

 

8. Plan

Many times, a distracted mind is a mind without a plan.

Planning helps guide our actions; it gives us a blueprint of what we should be doing. A good plan also helps us prioritize our tasks or activities.

 

9. Play

When was the last time you jumped around or you laughed so hard a little pee came out? ??

There is this foolhardy argument that the older we get the more serious we should be. I don’t know where we got that. Even Jesus encourages us to be like little children – I like to think this means unrestrained trust, endless curiosity, courage, and energy.

Playing is a big part of a childlike countenance. We need to make time for play. Making time for play should be an intentional part of growing up and not something to be ashamed of.

 

10. Dream

You’re probably wondering what this is doing on the list.

Let me explain – I have found that when I actively daydream, basically steer the course of the dream to the goals and plans I have, and this often motivates me to work on them. It acts as a rudder leading me back to land/reality.

 

No time wasted.

I follow quite a few productivity gurus on SM, and one thing they all seem to agree on is how we use the little moments. Here’s why: an innocent scroll through SM or a quick Google search can easily turn into many hours lost doing what does not move your life forward.

Yes, we need to chill sometimes, and I agree. This was why I advocated play and naps. The difference is that you intentionally take up these activities rather than a passive transition into potentially regressive activities.