Staying focused at school or work is becoming a challenge by each passing day. This is further amplified by constant distractions that present themselves both at work and at school. With smart phones and internet, anyone can get distracted by just the press of a button. Even while resting, we can get distracted by just checking on the latest news or catching up on our favorite TV show.[1]
Having the ability to concentrate despite all the distractions allows you to not only complete tasks or assignments on time, but also achieve your goals in the long run. Your focus on a particular task determines the success or failure of the assignment you are currently working on.[1]
However hard you concentrate, there is always a room for improvement in your overall focus for better results. Improving focus and concentration is not an impossible thing to achieve, even though with age it does not come easy and quickly. You will have to put in extra hard work and make significant changes to your daily lifestyle to improve focus and concentration. Read below to know about three easy tips to improve your focus.[2]
3 Easy Tips to Improve Your Focus
Tip #1: Avoid Phones and Computers for the First and Last 60 Minutes of the Day:
Phones and computers are major distractions especially with regard to social media, online news channels and most of all multiplayer video games. All these have been proved in various studies to be extremely addictive and significantly impact focus.[2]
Based on a study done by the U.S. Army, spending time away from such distractions especially when you first report to work and when you are about to finish your day at work increased focus significantly.[2]
While it is impossible to stay away from phones or computers completely, it is best to start and end the day by completely doing away with these distractions. While the first hour of the day you need to be completely focused on your work the last hour should be spent on relaxing after a day’s hard work.[2]
A relaxed mind when you reach home makes you spend quality time with family and allow you to get a restful night’s sleep. A good sleep at night is extremely crucial to have a constructive and productive day at work or school with improved focus.[2]
Tip #2: Maintain Balance between Personal Life and Work:
Studies have proved that people who spend less time family and more time at work are less productive. Such people tend to make mistakes at work due to lack of complete focus at work. These people also lack innovation in their work and their ability to make wise decisions are also hampered.[1, 2]
A consulting group based out at Boston opinioned that people who took some time off of work to spend with family and friends performed better than people who worked 24/7. Thus, it is up to you to decide as to what makes you relaxed. It may be a workout at the gym or going to a movie. Taking a few hours for these activities will not only improve your focus, but will also make you a better performer at work or at school.[2]
Tip #3: Maintain Diary for Things to Do:
Another study done by a group in Virginia found out that only a handful of people maintained a to-do diary for both work and home. The study observed that not maintaining a to-do diary led to distractions and confusion. It also will make you constantly think about something that you may be forgetting.[1, 2]
Hence, it is a must to keep a diary and mention all things that you wish to accomplish on that day, both professional and personal. You may put reminders on phone or write down on a small notebook. Priority tasks should be mentioned on top and the list goes on. When you are sure you have mentioned everything, then your mind will be free of any distractions and you may focus on your day’s work.[2]
In conclusion, improving your focus should be a priority if you want to improve your performance at work or at school. An improved focus not only will make you confident, but you will have more clarity of thought and become much more creative and stride towards accomplishing your goals. You can follow the above mentioned easy yet effective tips diligently and be assured that you will notice a significant difference and improvement in your focus both at your place or work or school and home.[2]
