Find your focus – how to minimize distractions and improve concertation at work 

In a time where people are literally bombed with more information than they can process and the string of responsibilities never seems to end, it’s a real challenge to stay focused on work tasks for 8 hours straight.

Distractions and procrastination always find a way to seep in and throw you off track, especially when you’re on a tight schedule and deadlines are looming. It’s definitely not easy to be productive every day of the week, no matter how disciplined or determined you are.

But it’s also not impossible to keep distractions at bay and beat procrastination if you know how to approach the issue. 

Needless to say, the benefits of staying focused at work are manifold. Not only it improves performance and productivity and ensures better work-life balance, but it also helps minimize risks and keeps everyone safe. A large number of work-related accidents are caused by carelessness, be it from employers or employees. 

When an accident occurs due to an employer’s negligence, the injured employee can claim compensation for the damages they’ve suffered – you can learn more about this at https://www.accidentatworkclaimcare.org.uk/. However, if the accident was a result of the worker’s recklessness, they’ll have to deal with the consequences on their own.

Therefore, lack of focus can be more than a nuisance or an inconvenience; it can turn into a real hazard, especially when working in high-risk environments. 

When it comes to focusing, you need to think of it as a muscle and train it like one. Even if you have a mind that keeps wandering and can’t concentrate on a certain task for more than a few minutes, you can learn to stay focused the way you would learn any other skill.

Obviously, you’ll have to employ specific techniques and strategies, so here are a few things that could help you fix the problem.

 1. Start by setting clear and realistic goals

It’s less likely to get distracted if you set up clear and realistic goals. Instead of aiming for eight hours of uninterrupted work – which would encourage you to look for excuses and jump at any opportunity to procrastinate – you might start by establishing goals that you want to achieve every day.

You’re obviously not going to be very eager to start working on your tasks if you set out to get everything done in one afternoon. But targeting specific objectives can change your mindset and help you stay focused and motivated throughout the day.   

 2. Learn to prioritize

If you take a look at your schedule for the day and you come across an interminable and apparently insurmountable number of tasks, it’s no wonder you’ll want to run away from it.

However, not all the tasks on your to-do list have the same level of urgency, so you don’t have to do them all in one go or jump from one activity to another in a rush to get more things done at once.

By addressing them in the order of their importance, starting with the most urgent ones first, you’ll allow yourself to focus on one task at a time and feel immense relief after crossing each item off your list.  

 3. Take breaks

It’s unrealistic to expect your brain to work as hard and maintain a high level of attention for hours on end, like a machine. If you take on too many tasks and leave too many mental tabs open, it’s normal that your focus and productivity will dwindle at some point.

You need to take regular breaks and step away from your work, so you can give your mind the time and space it needs to relax, especially if you hit a block.

Get up, move your body, busy your mind with something else, and you’ll get back to work with a fresh perspective and enhanced focus. 

 4. Optimise your workspace

Your work environment directly impacts how you perform your daily activities and, thus, your ability to concentrate on your tasks.

That’s why you need to create a setting that supports focus and allows you to concentrate fully on your job. Maintain a clean and tidy workspace, have a place for everything, and keep your desktop organized.

Also, you should remove all the objects that could distract you and turn off unnecessary notifications to ensure no one bothers you while you’re working. 

 5. Analyze your work patterns

You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what caused it in the first place. So, if you get easily distracted, it’s a good idea to analyze your work habits and see if you notice any patterns that can help you identify the triggers.

Maybe you tend to lose focus when you’re hungry or when emails start piling up. Finding the cause can help you find adequate solutions and ward off issues before you go down the rabbit hole and lose yourself in the usual string of distracting activities.  

 6. Make room for distractions

While distractions are the biggest enemy of focus and are usually responsible for low productivity levels, they’re not inherently bad. There’s a time and place for everything, and you can certainly integrate distractions into your work day as long as you know how to make them work to your advantage.

You should allow yourself a few minutes of well-deserved distraction after finishing a task as a reward for completing the job. The secret is to limit them to these specific moments and respect the boundaries you have set for yourself.  

 7. Take advantage of tech tools

There are numerous ways in which technology can help you improve your work life, and increasing focus is among these benefits.

Tools like time trackers and website blockers apps can help you organize your time better and keep distractions at bay, so you can stay focused and productive while you’re at work.

There’s an app for everything these days, so you should choose the ones that serve your purpose and test them out.