Tips to Stay Focused at Work

With so much technology these days, it can be very challenging to stay focused on one task at a time. Constant notifications, calls and reminders can distract you and make your day unproductive and frustrating. If you work in a shared office, noise and chatter is another obstacle on the way.

There are some people, though, who can focus better than others. What’s their secret? The answer is their knowledge of certain tricks and being disciplined to keep following them every day.

You can also learn some great tricks for staying focused at work and saving yourself time and sanity. Below I share some of my favourite tips on this subject suitable for home or shared office environments.

Plan your day

You can do this the night before or right before starting work. Write down the three most important tasks you need to have completed by the end of the day. You can even include a time when each task needs to be done by (for enhanced planning). I suggest planning more challenging tasks around your best productive hours. Many feel their productive peak in the morning, while some have their best energy in the evening. Plan the rest of your day around these tasks, and don’t forget to include breaks, as they are very important.

Record your ideas

Sometimes great ideas appear during the busiest of times. Those can easily lead you in a different direction and take you away from the task at hand. However fantastic the idea is, don’t let it distract you. Instead, record it on a piece of paper (or your phone’s notes) and leave it until you’ve completed all your work for the day.

Organise your desk

If your desk is messy and you often take time to find things you need to complete your tasks, you will struggle to stay focused throughout the day.

So organise your desk and clear unnecessary mess away to support your focus and concentration.

Make sure your chair is comfortable, and the desk set-up is ergonomic. If your working environment is uncomfortable or creates physical pain, it can substantially negatively impact your productivity and health in general.

Split challenging tasks

Be realistic about your tasks, and don’t overstretch yourself. If something looks challenging or needs more time to complete, make sure to split it into smaller tasks when you plan your day.

Turn off notifications

Turn off any unnecessary notifications that may distract you during the day. You can silence your phone and check it during your breaks to see if there are any important messages or something that needs your urgent attention. Otherwise, everything else can wait until your day is over and ticked those important tasks off.

Check your emails every two to three hours

Turn off your email notifications and stop attending to new emails the second they come in. Instead, plan to attend to emails every 2-3 hours and check them in your own time. Numerous research has shown that checking your email fewer times is healthier for us. Those who check their email box constantly can experience higher levels of anxiety throughout the day.

Block out the noise

If you work in a shared office and find busy office chatter distracting, you can try to block out the noise by putting noise-cancelling headphones on and listening to some background sound (like natural sound offered by the Noisli app). Another option is to listen to music. However, this can also be a massive distraction to some.

Stay healthy

Drink lots of water, less caffeine and take breaks during your day. Exercise regularly, don’t skip meals and eat well. This will all contribute to your focus, energy levels and better productivity.