Remember that movie, Limitless, where Bradley Cooper takes a drug that gives him full access to his brain? We’ve all had days where it feels like the only way we’ll make it through is if our ex-wife’s brother gives us magical little pills, but sadly, NZT-48 doesn’t exist, and any other pills or powdered substances provided by your ex-brother-in-law should probably be a no go.
So, if you’re trying to improve your concentration game (that Adderall shortage is no joke), then read on for 10 ways to stay focused at work.
1. Get Organized
You know that ever-growing stack of papers, notes, and empty coffee cups somewhere at or around your desk? Well, whether you know it or not, it’s having a negative impact on your ability to work. Obviously, organizing your time and schedule is at the top of the organizational importance pyramid, but having an organized workspace is actually proven to help increase focus and productivity throughout the day.
Some basic organization tips to keep in mind:
- Limit personal/distracting items.
- Keep important reminders around eye level.
- If you don’t use it daily, put it away when it’s not being used.
- Create an organization system, such as files, calendars, etc.
- Limit the stacks. The only thing we want stacking to the roof is cash. If it’s anything else, take care of it before it’s adding unnecessary stress.
2. Limit Distractions
Taking an occasional break can be a good thing (more on that later), but constantly getting distracted isn’t the same. Whether it’s your phone, emails, or the last game of your 5-leg parlay, distractions are taking away your focus.
If you know you have a long stretch of high-focus work that needs to be done, figure out how to limit anything other than the task at hand. Limit the notifications on your phone (just make sure important calls and messages can still get through), ignore any non-urgent emails, and if you don’t have an office with a door, throw on some headphones and put on your best “leave me the F alone” face.
3. Prioritize Your Effective Hours
The key to staying focused for long hours is to get the most important stuff done when your brain is firing on all cylinders. That means prioritizing certain items during the times in your day when you aren’t relying on three espressos to keep your eyes half open. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, right before or after lunch, or even the last hour or two before you plan on leaving (when the deadline allows), figure out your personal peak hours and maximize them.
4. Take Breaks
Breaks? Who has time for breaks?? You do. Even when it feels like a break is out of the question, the reality is that taking breaks means you’ll actually be more effective when you get back to work.
Science backs that taking breaks increases your focus and productivity, and can even lower stress. While an occasional phone or walk break is great, a break can also just mean a break from your current task. The idea isn’t necessarily to stop working, but to do work that uses a different part of your brain. An example would be pausing whatever intense task you’re working on, and dedicating the next 20 minutes to something like answering those not-so-urgent emails you’ve been putting off.
5. Plan Your Day
Part of the reason we often lose focus (other than having not slept for 48 hours) is because we either get distracted or overwhelmed. That’s where planning can save the day. If you can take the time every morning, or even the night before, to set up an hour by hour task plan, you’ll find yourself staying much more engaged and efficient.
Just make sure to leave some slots for any spur-of-the-moment tasks you might foresee popping up.
6. Focus on Your Health
It’s hard to talk about health when you’re logging 70+ hours a week at work, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Sure, chugging caffeine and blowing your eardrums out can keep you grinding away for hours, but it’s not sustainable and can lead to making embarrassing or even straight-up catastrophic mistakes. Believe it or not, investing in your health can prove to be beneficial to not just your body, but your career.
The good ol’ folks over at Harvard found that putting an emphasis on your fitness and health levels has a direct correlation with career success. By getting enough exercise, drinking plenty of water, and following a healthy diet, studies have shown a proven increase in energy levels, focus, productivity, increased motivation, and reduced stress.
And bonus news, per a Harvard study you can find here, coffee can actually be good for you! (But probably not how you’re consuming it if we’re being honest here.)
7. Meditate
Meditation isn’t just for hippies and monks. In fact, regular meditation has proven to increase cognitive abilities. All you need is 10 minutes a day, and you’ll be able to build up a number of benefits, including increased focus and productivity.
If you don’t know where to start, there are a bunch of great meditation apps, like Headspace and Calm, that will guide you through the whole process!
8. Try Focus Techniques
There’s no shortage of time management and focus techniques, so the real challenge is finding the one(s) that work best for you. One of the most popular is known as the Pomodoro Technique, which has proven to be an effective productivity “hack.”
The steps are simple:
- Choose a specific task.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes and work only on that specific task.
- Once the 25 minutes is up, take a 5-minute break.
- Repeat those steps 4 times.
- Take a longer break of up to 30 minutes.
The beauty of this is that you don’t have to do it all day, but rather institute it for periods you know you’ll need a little focus boost.
9. Pick Some Tunes
This one is a bit more fun than some of the above, and yet it’s proven to work (for most people). If you’re someone that feeds off of music, find the right tunes to boost your focus at work. Depending on the type of work you’re doing, some studies suggest music with minimal lyrics, but ultimately your music response is unique, so play around with it until you find what works. (For some reason, cool jazz really locks my brain into gear, so dare to venture outside your typical go-to genres.)
10. Set Rewards
Who doesn’t like a good reward? If you’re the type of person who can be accountable with themselves, but still needs the occasional incentive to boost your focus, consider setting rewards for completing certain tasks throughout your day, week, month, or even the whole year.
Whether it’s getting yourself a coffee for finishing up a batch of due diligence questions, or getting yourself a new watch for closing a deal, our silly human brains like rewards. Checking off boxes and getting immediate positive feedback can provide the momentum boost you need to power through some grueling hours. So, whether it’s big or small, set yourself up with some rewards.
Speaking of rewards, reward your whole team and upgrade your outdated VDR to CapLinked. Start a free 14-day CapLinked trial today.
Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in content marketing, dispute resolution, law, and politics. When he isn’t writing he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or spending time at the beach.
