Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from John Anyasor of HiLife2B.
When was the last time you were horribly distracted from a task you kept trying to complete? Yesterday, today, or just a few minutes ago?
If you answered yes to all parts of the second question, you’re not alone.
Not everyone can concentrate in the middle of a thunderstorm like the few outliers I’ve come across in life. Even amidst utter chaos, some people are able to focus THAT intensely on what they’re doing.
For people like myself, it’s pretty hard to maintain such Herculean focus long enough before I’m off on another mental tangent. These tangents, though productive in the creative sense, inevitably lead to either inspiration for a work of art or an hour or two of zoning out that you can’t get back.
Even the slightest noise can throw me off balance before I have to refocus my attention – at least until the next distraction comes strolling by.
Stop the distraction before the distraction stops you
But for every problem that lies conveniently on the path to success, there are tried and true techniques that get me through the day with my psyche aligned and intact.
To destroy what’s breaking your concentration, you have to rid it from your corner of reality. This will take some getting used to, especially if unconsciously causing mental unrest has become a routine for you.
But if you’re ready and willing, great! Let’s move on to the practical stuff.
1. Leave the place you feel most comfortable.
Where you are most comfortable usually has tempting items for you to indulge in: some snacks, a pillow, pictures, a bed. For me, it’s my dorm room that generally muddles up my thoughts when I’m trying to concentrate.
Instead, pick a place where the setting is strictly meant for productivity. Places I suggest are libraries and basements.
2. Keep your cell phone on vibrate.
I love technology as much as the next guy, but there are times when being plugged in can get to be a little too much of a hassle. Take the average cell phone, for example. Do you really need to have your phone ringing every few minutes? It only serves to distract you from the work at hand. But if you simply can’t live without your phone, just keep it on vibrate.
3. Become a misanthrope.
Stop letting yourself succumb to one of the worst distractions known to man: people. This is not to say that I don’t like people (because I do), but we are a very distracting species. All kinds of sounds are coming from our bodies: coughs, sniffles, yawns, and even sneezes.
I haven’ t even mentioned how much talking can mess with your unfocused mind.
Do yourself a favor and cease connecting with others when you’re trying to create.
4. For some of you, listen to the “right kind” of music.
Some people focus better when there’s music in the background. There are many studies that prove music helps us concentrate and absorb more information. That being said, don’t just play any kind of music. Turn on the type of jams that sooth the mind and calm the soul, like classical music. Rock music, and erratic techno beats are out of the question.
5. For the rest of you, scrap the noise.
If your brain gets distracted way too easily, I recommend against listening to any type of music. For me, when I hear music, I just start getting into the groove and single out certain tunes that I mentally repeat back to myself. It can be a real problem when you start focusing on music instead of the task at hand.
Try working in complete silence. It’s peaceful and productive.
6. If you do computer work, block your daily sites.
Your daily sites are like your morning pick-me-ups, and watching them evolve and provide new content overtime can be an enjoyable, albeit addicting, experience. But if you want to get things done, you’ve got to block them. These days, many new browsers come with site blocking add-ons that will easily shave off all the hours you spend refreshing your favorite homepage.
7. Manage your physical distractions.
The tapping, twiddling, pulling, stroking, and itching are things you can do without. I know it feels comfortable and sometimes you just can’t find the right spot to put your hands, but what are you accomplishing? You’re just delaying the work you know you have to do. Try abstaining from any pattern-like motions while concentrating.
8. Manage your emotional distractions.
Events that happened a long time ago, yesterday, or even earlier in the day can disrupt our train of thought. Maybe the old lady on the bus didn’t smile back when you smiled directly at her, or nobody laughed at your joke in front of the water cooler when it was clearly taken from a Seinfeld rerun.
Or maybe a more painful past incident is distracting you from your work…
The idea here is to keep your mind clear of anything irrelevant to the present. You can stand to deal with any emotional baggage after your agenda is complete.
9. Get to work early in the morning.
The power in waking up early is that you’re probably way too tired to get distracted. The morning is the time of day when your mind is just waking up: your movements and thoughts are much slower. This makes it much easier to focus.
As a precaution, be sure to get an adequate amount of sleep the night before. Too little or too much sleep will only serve to warp your morning concentration.
Take it one step at a time
In a way, these tips to maintain focus revolve around getting rid of the clutter in your life, whether it is mental or physical. This shows that living life simpler is just the first step towards reclaiming your time and focusing on your goals.
You can’t afford to get distracted. Time wasted is a piece of your life unfulfilled.
John Anyasor is the creator of HiLife2B, where he gives advice on personal development, inspiration, and motivation. For more from John, subscribe to his RSS feed or follow him on Twitter.
16 Comments on “Distracted? 9 Ways to Maintain Focus”
says:
These are all great tips, and many of them are common sense most of them are backed up with brain research too!
says:
Hey Glenn, thanks for commenting on my guest post! While some of them are common sense, I’ve tried to share techniques that I’ve used personally to great success.
It’s amazing what you find works and doesn’t work when you try things out for yourself.
says:
Hi John.
Listening to the right kind of music sure is relevant. When I listen to the wrong kind of music for being productive, I turn into a slow-moving creature, but when I listen to the kind of music that fits for how I feel, I don’t have cognitive dissonance, and then I can focus on what I am doing.
Doing things early in the morning is a winning strategy. I hear this often, but the few that put it into usage win. Setting the alarm is all it takes(other than sleeping at a reasonable time). It is a step worth taking for those who recently have not.
says:
Hey Armen,
I sometimes listen to old song writers like Elvis and Gary Jules to calm me down and get in the right state. I’ve tried working with energetic music – not the best idea, in my case.
I actually wake up early every morning (7:00 to 8:00, usually) and it really works wonders. I just get right to reading so my brain is active as soon as I’m up.
Your last point really speaks to me. When are we going to use advice instead of just taking it? A lot of things that I’m thinking about…might result in a post on my blog…
says:
I practice many of your tips John. As for music I can develop laser-like focus when listening to techno. I usually listen to classical though.
I hear you 100% on the people/influence thing. I do my writing when tucked away in my own little world. People are great but there’s a time to step away from it all. When in silence you can provide a much greater service through focused creation than if you were to chat with them about the weather or the latest gossip.
says:
Classical? Great! Any composers I might know?
The best time to create is when you’re almost completely uninfluenced. This way, you’ll be free to think beyond what’s perceived as possible or crazy – your creation will have no bounds.
says:
My cell is in the other room when I really need to focus. If it’s an emergency, someone will come in and tell me. Vibrate or not, a cell demands your attention.
Good post.
says:
These days, I rarely carry my cellphone (I typically use it on the weekend).
Though I’m not sure you’ll want to stay separated from your phone forever – someone may be trying to reach you who can’t possibly just show up at your door!
Glad you liked it.
says:
Thanks for this post. It is so relevant to me right now. I’m just about to take my first-year medical exams and I’m managing to find anything and everything to distract me from actually doing any work. I sort of feel guilty now though so once this comment is done I’ll crack down and get some revision done! :)
says:
Hey Francesca, nice to meet you!
I’d say this was a timely post for you. With your medical exams coming up, you have to be at your very best.
As I told some of the other commenters on here, remember to apply these techniques to see if they work.
Go out and rock that exam – we’re rooting for you.
says:
Nice list!
I find that computers and the internet are packed with distractions.
Another good point you make is that some like background music while others prefer silence. We’re all individuals so you have to experiment and see what works for you…
says:
You have some great tips here. One that works for me is removing distractions. My biggest distraction was email. So I decided to no longer start the day by checking it. Now I just have to work on steering clear of Facebook until I’ve worked my way down the to-do list. Ahhhh the temptation of social networking sites.
says:
Thank you for this article* I am a self taught artist that gets to make money from doing what I love! We just moved so the studio I had is now in our apt* along with all my books ,piano, cat, food, bed, neighbors,ect* I have a project with a dead line, but I suppose I have become quite a hermit in my studies* I am also getting to much sleep I suppose, since I work from home* lately it has been very difficult to stay focused and I feel rather lazy for that* I am getting things done, but not what I need to be doing* thanks again for the reminder*