10 Ways to Regain Your Focus

If you’re bored, wired, tired, busy, or distracted, it can be easy to lose focus. So, if you’re working on something and you’re not putting it at the center of your interest or activity, you’re not giving it your all.

Multi-tasking can be great but if you’re going to get things done, you have to learn how to focus on the task at hand and refrain from distractions that break your focus. It can be tricky to find your footing and get back into your groove. However, some ways below can minimize the chance of derailment and help you to get back on track after losing focus.

Have a Daily Plan

You should wake up every morning with a plan of what your day will look like. This doesn’t have to be a detailed schedule that outlines every minute. But having a list will eliminate small decisions that can get you off track. Take time every evening (or early morning) to write out (not just in your head) the plan for the next day.

Meditate

Meditation is like exercising the muscle of your mind. A few moments every day is a way to practice focus and attention. Try starting with a guided meditation app or station. A few minutes every day can make a big difference.

Silence Your Phone

We are all guilty of it. Every time your phone rings, vibrates, or lights up, you automatically look away from your task to glance at your phone. Stop those notifications, silence your phone, or put it out of your line of vision (in a desk drawer or up on a shelf).

Close Your Door

If your work space is in a high traffic area, consider closing your door for a few hours a day so you can work through your more complicated tasks. This will eliminate the distractions of people walking by, sticking their heads in, and may make others think twice before knocking. This will give you more uninterrupted time to work.

Moment of Enjoyment

Every day take at least a small amount of time to do something you really enjoy. This can be peace and quiet over your coffee in the morning, a piece of candy in the afternoon, or snuggles with a pet or loved one in the evening. Having that moment of enjoyment will give you a respite from all the to-do’s that fill your day and give you time to reset and prepare for what comes next.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks probably seems counterintuitive. However, taking breaks from work can give your mind a rest too. Also, if you know you have a ten-minute break coming up, it will provide you with an incentive to push through a laborious task.

Stop Multitasking

There is no way around this, but multitasking is killing your productivity and your focus. Multitasking means you are splitting your attention between multiple items, which means you are not giving anything your full attention. Stop it and focus on one task at a time.

Be Persistent

If a task isn’t coming easily to you, feel free to walk away for a few minutes or even a day. But be persistent with the process and don’t give up. Allowing yourself to bounce from task to task to avoid the difficult work will leave you with a list of half-done tasks and a brain that is running in a million different directions.

Remove Internal Distractions

Internal distractions are the little ideas, to-dos, and random thoughts that pop into your head while working on a different task. When this happens, take a moment to write down that thought/to-do, and then get back to work. Writing it down will allow your brain to let go of it while you get back to work, and you can revisit it later.

Take a Day Off

We all need a day off to rest, reset, and recuperate. We also need time with our families and friends to fill our cups and remind us why the hard days are worth it.

Focusing better is both a mindset and a physical act that you must prepare your mind and body for. Be sure that you are doing everything in your power to set yourself up to the best of your ability. With practice and the correct tools in place, you can restore your focus quickly and with little downtime.

At the Arise Society, we help young adults that are struggling with anxiety, depression, gaming and other motivational issues. We provide personalized academic, therapeutic, and social support in a real-world setting, which gives our students the skills to reach their fullest potential.