Increasing Your Focus and Concentration
Recently we were discussing how noisy our lives have become. Shortly after waking up, we are pulled into the activities and distractions of our day. We begin looking at our phones; checking email and text messages, scrolling the news, logging into apps, listening to podcasts, and reading notifications. Unfortunately for most of us we are plugged in many hours each day (and night). And unless you’re planning to get rid of your phone, the inputs and noise aren’t going anywhere. But we can consider how we structure our days and how we manage our distractions. Today we’re exploring ways to cut through the distractions and develop a better ability to focus and concentrate on our priorities.
Analog Anchors
Begin and end your day without devices. When you wake up, try to resist the urge to pick up your phone for the first hour. Instead focus your time on easing into your day and getting yourself organized. If you have a journaling practice, use the time to journal or sit down with your planner and organize for the day ahead. If you like to exercise in the morning, take the dog for a walk or complete a workout.
Similarly in the evening, 1-2 hours before bed take a break from screens. Plug in your phone and other devices and start winding down your day. Lower the lights around the house. Make a cup of tea and do something away from screens. You could take a shower, work on a craft or puzzle, read a book, or try a meditation or yoga routine focused on relaxation and winding down.
Limit the To-Dos
We tend to think more is better but when sitting down with your daily planner pages, choose your top 3-4 to-do items to get done that day. We love utilizing the “Priorities” section of our daily layouts for this. An endless to-do list that you never see the end of can clutter your head and keep you from completing anything. Focus on the 3-4 things that truly need to get done. Be specific in stating what you need to do. Instead of something general like, “work on the design project” get specific with a task, like, “pull four tile options for client”. Once you have these written down, make a plan to cross them off, whether that’s scheduling errands, or making time in your schedule to complete them.
Managing Time
We all have limited hours in the day and usually more we want to tackle than can reasonably fit into a day. We are big fans of time blocking and share more about it here, but essentially time blocking is breaking your day down into specific time slots for specific tasks. Instead of ping -ponging around to different tasks, checking emails and social media scroll breaks, work in time blocks. It will make you much more efficient and help you stay focused on one task at a time.
Media Free Time & Days
While you’re planning your day, consider making time for getting outside for fresh air. And before you put in your headphones to pick up with the latest audiobook, give your ears and mind a break from incoming information and simply enjoy the time outside. Take in your surroundings, breathe, and let your mind wander. Silence notifications on your devices, both audio and visual ones. With constant noise and information pulling our attention, it’s important to stay connected to ourselves and our thoughts. If you notice you appreciate the quiet, you can use devices or programs to block access to apps that tend to take over your free time or distract you during the day. Consider also implementing media-free family days where everyone takes a break from devices to refill their tanks and maybe even get a little bored!
Single Tasks
Do you ever find yourself with an internet browser full of open tabs? How many apps and tabs are currently open on your phone? Photo albums overflowing with endless screenshots? If this sounds like you you might also be a person who struggles to concentrate or finish a task. Work on closing the open tabs in your life, both literally and figuratively. Close open tabs you don’t need on your phone and computer. Delete month old screenshots you’ve never looked at. Any items on your to-do list that take 15 minutes or less to complete, knock those out right away. Our effort is to clear away any clutter in our minds and give us room to breathe. Take a break from multitasking and slow down. Focus on completing one single task at a time. Fully completing tasks, however big or small, will feel like a big win and help you increase your focus for longer periods of time.
We’d love to hear from you! How do you limit the noise and stay focused? At this time in your life, do you find it easier or harder to concentrate? We’d love to hear your tips and thoughts in the comments below.