Concentration in the office: Strategies to focus at work
Are you struggling to focus at work? Your ability to focus on a single task and tackle it is crucial for your productivity and success. It is what we commonly call concentration.
But how could you possibly focus on one thing in this day and age?
There is just so much distraction and over-communication going on in the modern workplace. What can we possibly do to just tune out all the meaningless noise and finally get some work done?
Well, as humans, we are creatures of habit. Therefore, it all comes down to building some healthy habits that can boost your ability to focus and eliminating the ones that are sabotaging you. Office Topics will give you a few strategies you can try in order to concentrate.
Table of Contents
Fix your sleep and get up early
A good night’s sleep is crucial for your focus and ability to perform. On the other hand, getting up early has been reported countless times as one of the most vigorously followed habits of highly productive and successful individuals.
It is simply one of the most effective ways to get ahead of everyone else and focus on work before your attention is pulled away by the hassles of the day. Going to bed early and getting up early to work will do wonders for your work concentration.
Do your MIT as soon as you wake up
MIT stands for "most important task" and it is basically the single most important thing you need to accomplish in your day no matter what.
Waking up and getting right into your MIT is a great way to build your ability to concentrate. This means that you are not allowing any distractions to find their way into your day.
Combine this daily habit with intermittent fasting and you will become an unstoppable force of productivity.
How to stay focused and productive at work
Concentration requires isolation. Which is kind of lonely and boring, right? No wonder most modern coffee shops have turned into coworking spaces.
But deep work is the only way to achieve progress. Writers have to write, coders have to code, and designers have to design.
So, make friends with boredom and solitude. That is why getting up early and handling an MIT is so effective. It's a great way to get some work done and have the rest of the day to look forward to.
Find the fun aspects of your work
There is a person out there who is so in love with their work, they would never ever need to read this guide.
Passion and fun are immersive. Concentration is not an issue when you are in the zone.
This said, how can you make your work more fun and exciting? Maybe you can come up with new ways to approach it. Check out this page where we talk about creativity for some neat ideas.
How to improve focus at work by minimizing distractions
Your ability to concentrate means nothing if you are bombarded with distractions. This can lead to a downward-spiral of multitasking, more stress, and reduced productivity.
Note all the things that distract you and find ways to eliminate them. Here are a few examples:
- Instant messaging
- Phone notifications
- Group chats
- Colleagues passing by your desk
- Sudden team meetings
Talk to your coworkers and your boss. Explain that you need time to focus on what you are doing. For example, you can have designated “communication” hours that you can use to check your mail and IMs.
Break your projects into smaller tasks
Big projects can be intimidating. That is why it is preferable to break them down into smaller, doable tasks. This way you will be able to focus on one at a time tackle them with ease.
Sometimes we are unable to concentrate on work because we are scared of it. We are scared of the painful, boring mountains of focus and dedication that we have to put out in order to drive things forward.
If this describes your inner state, then you might be dealing with the “symptoms” of procrastination.
How to focus on work at home? Give the 15-minute rule a try!
When you feel lazy and all you want to do is to retreat to a comfortable place to have some tea and cookies, try to summon the energy to work for at least 15 minutes.
Just 15 minutes, that’s all.
Hopefully, by the time the 15 minutes are over, you will be so immersed in your work that you will end up doing a lot more than what you expected. This is another great to concentrate on work through sheer willpower.
With time, and through the power of habit, you will be able to summon the energy to deep work at will!
Here's how you can be more productive when working from home.
Key takeaways
- Your ability to concentrate on your work directly applies to how productive you are.
- Minimizing distractions is key in order to have longer productive stints.
- There are many actionable strategies you can use to be more productive but it all comes to cultivating discipline and willpower.
