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Ever find yourself desperately trying to finish something, only for your mind to start wandering? Try as you may, you simply cannot bring yourself to concentrate on the task at hand. Even as a deadline looms, you cannot stop yourself from absentmindedly picking up your phone and scrolling through your socials.
If so, you’re definitely not alone. A growing number of people report having serious difficulties concentrating, with the sharpest increase in those aged 18 to 39. Apparently, all that screen time might be impacting our attention spans.
But there’s some good news: focusing is a skill. And, just like any other skill, it can be learned and improved through consistent practice.
Clarity is the key to focus. You need to know what you’re trying to achieve and how you plan to do it. The clearer you can be about this, the easier it will be to commit to it.
Take the time to define your goals. Set yourself a deadline, like 3 months or a year. Then work out what you could achieve in that time that would make the biggest difference.
Try to separate what feels urgent from what is actually important. Urgent tasks may need immediate attention, but do not necessarily contribute to your personal growth or professional development. Whereas important tasks are those that will make a material difference over the long term.
Make sure your goals are SMART. That they are Specific enough to be meaningful, Measurable enough to allow you to track your progress, and genuinely Achievable. That they are Relevant to your broader life plans, and Timely enough to be motivating.
Write your goals down. This helps ensure they’re clear enough to be articulated and gives you something to refer back to later. It also means you don’t have to worry about remembering them.
Use your goals as a tool for decision-making. If something doesn’t serve your progress toward them, it’s most likely an unnecessary distraction. Get comfortable with saying no.
Longer-term goals often seem overwhelming. They are too distant to reach and too big to tackle in one day. So, it’s easy to put off starting until tomorrow.
But not being able to achieve them in one day is kind of the point. They are supposed to be the result of a series of smaller changes. You need to eat the elephant one bite at a time.
Reflect on the small steps it will take to reach each of your bigger goals. Identify the daily habits you need to adopt or the weekly progress you need to make. Build these into your routine, along with regular checkpoints to track and celebrate your success.
Small steps still seem too daunting? Split them out into even smaller discrete tasks and work through those in sprints.
Ease yourself in with cycles of 15 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. As your concentration builds, work up to cycles of 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off.
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Multitasking may make you feel busier, but it definitely does not make you more productive. You need to be intentional in your actions and methodical in your approach.
Start your days by asking yourself, “If I only achieve one thing today, what should that be?” Hint: it should be the thing that is most important and will have the greatest impact.
Make that thing the center of your attention. Keep it there until it is done. Then, once it is properly, fully done, you can allow less meaningful things to occupy your time.
It can be hard to find peace in our highly connected world. Devices dominate our lives, and a single notification can derail the deepest levels of concentration. While eliminating all distractions may not be realistic, you should be able to reduce their impact.
Simple techniques are often the most effective. Turn off non-essential notifications, only check your email at specific times, and close unused browser tabs. Keep your workspace tidy, place your phone out of arm’s reach, ensure you have sufficient light, and use noise-cancelling headphones.
More advanced techniques may also be beneficial. See if you respond to the structure of time blocking, or if deep work enhances your cognitive performance. Different approaches suit different people, so try a few out and work out what works best for you.
We all have our limitations. You can try to fight against yours, but you will usually lose. Instead, learn to work with them.
Get to know your natural rhythms and plan accordingly. Work out when your energy usually peaks and your natural ability to focus is strongest, and schedule demanding tasks for these times. Acknowledge when your concentration usually dips and save lighter tasks for those times.
Identify the factors that most impact your mental acuity and try to optimize them. Make sure you’re getting enough quality sleep and are taking sufficient breaks throughout the day to mentally recharge. Stay hydrated, moderate your caffeine consumption, and fuel your mind with quality proteins, complex carbs, berries, nuts, and seeds.
And, if you have an off hour, day, or even week, show yourself a little grace. Sometimes you’re just not feeling it, and trying to force yourself to refocus will only lead to frustration. Instead, be flexible, acknowledge your distraction and lack of motivation, and find another way to productively use your time.
If you’re passionate about productivity and interested in assisting others to achieve their full potential, look into online doctoral programs in counseling. When delivered by a reputable institution, like the American International College online, such a program is the pinnacle of counseling education. It will equip you with the skills and experience you need to practice and research, and streamline your pathway to accreditation and licensure.
