Top 10 Tips To Improve Focus Creativity and thought require uninterrupted focus. This is difficult to accomplish in our world of instant communication and distraction. Here are some strategies to maximize your ability to focus. 1. Turn your cell phone to silent. Even if you plan to let your cell phone go to voicemail or set it to vibrate, that minor distraction can interrupt your train of thought. 2. Limit your access to Social Media. Twitter, Facebook, etc. can draw you in and next thing you know, an hour has passed. By limiting those instant distractions, you create less of a chance that your attention will be pulled away from the activities you need to accomplish. 3. Close your email and turn alerts to silent. You can set aside time to deal with email at a different time. Instant access to your attention prevents sustained concentration. 4. Don’t go there. If the Internet offers a distraction and is not part of your task that needs to be accomplished, do not open that tab in the first place. We can also become lost in searching the cyber-universe that we lose focus. 5. What distracts you? It’s important to know what your triggers you to be distracted. Is it the television, the kids, the pets, the computer, etc? Set up your environment to manage the distractions. 6. Multitasking could be an issue. Many people pride themselves on their ability to multitask, however, when you multitask none of the tasks on which you are working get your full attention. This slows the process and interrupts the ability to fully concentrate. 7. Manage worry and stress. Stress interferes with our ability to focus on the important. Take some time to relax, clear your mind, make a list of the things that are competing for your attention and choose one to attack first. By prioritizing our responsibilities, we take control of the things we can control and recognize the parts of our situation that must be addressed at another time. 8. Develop good sleep habits. Difficulty sleeping can drain our ability to concentrate. 9. Put procrastination on the back burner. Do you have to clean your house before you focus on something? Update your filing system? You may be procrastinating. Break your task into small bite sized pieces. Start by spending 15 minutes on each bite sized piece. If you can fit two bites into one 15-minute period, more power to you! After you complete each step, choose a quick reward (a stretch, a walk around the room, a glass of water), then return to work for another 15-minute bite. 10. Stay hydrated and keep a snack handy. Thirst and hunger can interfere with our ability to remain focused. Especially, around 2 or 3pm, many people experience a drop in blood sugar that can make it difficult to concentrate. A small protein packed snack should perk you right up and improve your ability to focus.
