6 Ways To Increase Your Focus at Work

Finnegan Pierson

With the many distractions in an office — from co-workers stopping by to talk about their upcoming vacation or the cookies brought in by the receptionist — it can be hard to stay on task at work. These distractions can easily pull you off course, causing you to lose valuable work time. Here are six ways to increase focus and help you stay on track at work.

1. Wake Up Your Brain 

Starting with an energy kick propels many into a highly productive day. Some people live and die by their morning cup of coffee. Others swear by green tea for that extra energy boost, while some love their daily kombucha.

Exercise can also be a great way to wake up your brain. A morning run or a 20-minute high-intensity interval workout can also provide an added boost for the day — endorphins really are your best friends!

There are a lot of other ideas on how to stay energized. Some ideas are helpful, while others should be researched. Look to Le-Vel Thrive reviews to learn more about a current energy-boosting fad.

2. Understand Your Best Working Hours

Figure out the best times of day for more challenging tasks. Select your best time of day to write up lengthy reports and figure out complicated budgets. The morning maybe when you are most alert. Or, maybe the afternoon is when you get a big rush of energy. Schedule less pressing projects or have office meetings during low-energy times in your day. 

3. Minimize Distractions

Set aside chunks of time when no one is allowed to disrupt your work. Give co-workers notice ahead of time that you need certain hours dedicated to a particular project. Also, make sure to set your email or chat status to currently busy.  

For over-accommodators, this may seem rude. But when you have a critical deadline and prefer to not be up half the night finishing the project, this can be a lifesaver. Your colleagues will understand and may even be impressed by your dedication to staying on task. 

4. Reduce Multitasking

Many people are proud of how many tasks they can juggle at once. It is impressive. Many times, though, multitasking leads to burnout and can negatively affect the quality of work. Better to focus on one task or project at a time. 

Turn off your work phone and do not check your email. You may think that answering just that one phone call or email won't throw you off rhythm, but it likely will. You then end up jamming in another task as you are wrapping up your current project, which can lead to mistakes as you try to juggle both.

5. Step Away When Needed

You probably hit those walls in your day when it gets nearly impossible to stay focused or make a decision. Best to step away for a moment to clear your thoughts. A five-minute break can be enough to regroup. 

Step outside and take a short walk. Do a five-minute breathing exercise or head to a local coffee shop for a coffee treat. You may even consider bouncing off a few ideas with a co-worker to help get your mental juices flowing. 

6. Divide Large Projects Into Smaller Parts

Break large projects into smaller parts. When faced with a large project, you may instantly get overwhelmed. Look at the project in terms of it being made up of a bunch of smaller projects. As you start to complete each section, you find that the project isn't quite as overwhelming.

Additionally, when you have multiple pressing deadlines, do the shortest and easiest things first. Getting the easy things done right away provides you with a sense of accomplishment, and you feel more confident to then dive into the more challenging things.

With an eight-hour workday, it can be challenging, at times, to stay on task: You get tired, you get overwhelmed or you get frustrated. There are great ways to improve your focus and stay on track. From minimizing distraction to stepping away for short breaks, figure out what works best for you.