The ability to focus is one of the most essential skills you need to develop. If you’re not focused, you can’t do your best work. And if you’re not doing your best work, it’s challenging to make progress in your career.
Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to focus on their work. They get distracted by irrelevant thoughts and tasks, so they never really get into the zone where they can be productive and creative.
But there are ways you can learn how to focus better on your work. Here are 10 tips to help you tune out distractions and focus on what matters.
10 Tips to Help You Focus Better On Work
1. Start small with one task at a time. Focus on one thing at a time and avoid multi-tasking. When you focus on only one thing at a time, it’s easier to stay focused and avoid distractions. Multitasking makes it difficult for people to complete anything because they’re constantly switching between tasks, which can lead to being distracted by other things too quickly!
2. Create “no distraction zones” where you do your concentrated work. Turn off email pop-ups and notifications, close browser tabs, and remove all other distracting devices such as cell phones or tablets. The fewer distractions, the better!
3. Find the right environment for the task at hand — whether that’s a coffee shop or your living room couch — to get in the zone and tune out distractions as much as possible. This tip is handy if you are working from home as you tend to get more distracted while working from a home environment due to factors like kids, pets, TV, etc.
4. Set aside blocks of time for specific tasks — for example, an hour each morning when you can focus on writing emails without interruption or an hour each evening when you can answer emails from coworkers or clients without distraction from other work tasks like preparing presentations or meeting with team members.
5. Remove temptations — especially when you have an essential task to complete immediately after lunch break or before leaving work for the day (e-mailing colleagues about a project deadline, for example).
7. Organize your desk so it’s as clutter-free as possible (and clean off any surfaces that don’t belong on your desk). It will help you focus on your work rather than getting distracted by other things in your office or home office that are out of place or need attention (or cleaning!).
8. Take frequent breaks from looking at your computer screen by going outside or turning away from your computer monitor. Looking away from the computer screen allows your eyes to rest so that when you look back at it, it will be easier for them to focus again on the screen.
9. Create a list of tasks you want to accomplish each day to stay on track with your priorities and avoid procrastinating. Also, use a timer to monitor how long it takes you to complete an assignment to know if you’re spending too much time on specific tasks or areas of your job that aren’t as important as others.
10. Reward yourself when you complete a task by taking time off from work or doing something fun and relaxing (such as watching TV). This helps give your mind a break from work while also feeling good about yourself for having accomplished something!
Wrapping Up
The first step to focusing better at work is understanding your behaviour. What are the specific things you do that distract you? Do you check Facebook or Twitter every time a new email comes in? Do you have a habit of opening 10 tabs at once and getting lost in them?
Once you know what distracts you, it’s easier to stop doing those things. If your goal is to focus better at work, put away your phone or close all but one tab in your browser.
But that’s not enough — we need to change our environment to ensure we’re working with our full attention. When possible, get out of the office and go somewhere quiet where you can’t be disturbed. Prioritize one task at a time and avoid procrastination by avoiding multitasking.