How do I stay focused? Many people in today’s time are constantly looking for ways to stay focused.
To find the “why”, we have to look no further than the hundreds of distractions a person is faced with in day to day living. More focus is needed to accomplish what they need and to combat these distractions.
But, do we really want more focus? Or is it that we need less distraction?
Focus is defined by the center of interest or activity. A condition in which something can be clearly apprehended or perceived.
We know that from neural science that mental energy used for mental faculty is not infinite throughout the day but actually limited. The brain like any other cells in the body, uses a form of sugar called glucose to fuel cellular activity.
We get this glucose from foods we consume on a daily basis. When this amount of glucose being used becomes depleted, our mental function can be severely hampered.
So being that energy is finite and that we need to make the best use of it when we have access to it, what are some ways to make sure that we use our focus to the best of our abilities?
Here are 3 waysto stay focused.
1 – Stay nourished, stay hydrated, and stay rested!
Since we know that the brain uses food for energy, we want to make sure that we are eating healthy foods regularly. We want to make sure that we are taking regular breaks to get into movement, hydrate, and get nourishment to feed those cells.
A healthy brain can take on a healthy workload, and like any other thing in the body, it needs to be fed, stimulated, worked, and rested. Keep in mind, that breaks also break focus so make sure that they are spread out reasonably to crush that work.
Glucose foods include, grains, vegetables, fruits and more. So make frequent pit stops and STAY HEALTHY!!
See Also: Do Your Brain A Big Favor With These 15 Healthy Foods That Can Make You Smarter
2 – Cut out distractions!
The brain uses much of its energy in its capacity to make choices or decisions. The more decisions you give yourself throughout the day, the more energy is being used, or in certain cases, being taken away from the mental faculty of focusing on paramount tasks.
It is not the matter of being able to see the distractions and fight them to keep focusing. But, rather it is the matter of you having to decide to not participate in that distraction to begin with.
Which is again, sapping you of your mental gasoline. The more you can automate, or delegate without having your approval, the more mental energy you can recruit for the things you need.
So structure and automate certain things in your life to where you can make less decisions, and have less distraction to begin with.
3 – Time Blocks!
Block out times for certain tasks. When we say block out time, we mean during that time, BLOCK everything else out.
You may want to check emails only from 12 to 1 instead of whenever they show up. Or you may want to update those spread sheets from 4 to 6, rather than updating them as the information shows up on your desk.
See Also: Hack the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity
Take similar tasks, group them together, turn off everything else, and schedule a certain time to do them and them alone. In doing this, you will ensure that you have the most amount of focus for the projects you have scheduled.
Seriously. Put, your phone on airplane mode, turn off the TV, and if you’re going to listen to music, turn it low enough to where the lyrics are not readily understandable.
Don’t worry, the world will keep spinning, and those who don’t understand your scheduling process will in no time, get with the program when they see the amount of productivity, efficiency, and focus, it allots you.
So again, the 3 ways to stay focused are staying well-nourished and rested, removing distractions, and blocking time to use that energy we have efficiently. I hope this helps you to focus more and retain that focus for longer.
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