With everything today being so fast-paced, it is very common for us to lose our focus even with the smallest tasks. A lot of times when we are faced with a new task, we can feel many different emotions towards it. Whether it be excited, nervous, or unsure, the focus always seems to be the strongest in the beginning. Often times, we work harder towards something at the beginning of that task due to the excitement of something new, with that being said, we have to think to ourselves, “what ways can I improve my focus?”
Focus occurs in your brain when the prefrontal cortex is aligned with the correct amount of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other natural body chemicals positioned together for laser beam focus. With that being said though, there can be many factors that go into why we lose focus so quickly or easily. If we are stressed or anxious about a task ahead, we tend to lose focus on it whether it be trying to complete too many of these tasks at once or how much stress it is putting on you. When there is a lot of neural activity taking place in the brain like loud noises or flashing lights, your brain puts those into the forefront of your brain putting aside what you were originally focusing on.
We have put together a list of our best tips on how to improve your focus on a daily basis for all of you. This list is a great way to integrate focus-improving skills into your life in order to conquer everything on your to-do list!
SLEEP!!
As we get older, sleep gets more and more important in order for us to grow, not only physically but mentally as well. The average adult should be getting anywhere between 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, in order to allow your brain to reset its connections and allow for more mental clarity in the morning.
PRACTICE MEDITATION
Just like exercising trains your muscles, meditation trains your attention and your mind, allowing you to stay at attention for longer periods of time. Twenty minutes of daily meditation before bed or first thing in the morning is associated with activity and connectivity changes in the brain that controls attention and focus, allowing you to stray away from distractions and outside variables. Unplug from your devices, and let your mind do the rest.
FORGET MULTITASKING
Did you know that multitasking decreases our concentration between 20-40%?
Multitasking weakens your ability to focus a great amount, sometimes without us even realizing it. Our short-term memory is only capable of storing between 5 to 9 things at one time. With this being said, it is very hard for your brain to be able to focus on two completely separate tasks especially when they have different outcomes.
TAKE SHORT BREAKS IN BETWEEN WORK
Typically in the morning, you have the ability to stay focused for a longer period of time (roughly 50-60 minutes). In the afternoon, we suggest working for intervals of 40 minutes at a time and take roughly a 15-minute break in between to refresh and restart your brain. Stay conscious of your energy levels, if you feel yourself losing focus and becoming more depleted of ideas and energy, then that means it is time for a break.
STAY IN THE FOCUS ZONE
When taking your short interval breaks, do not get too distracted or side-tracked. The number one thing that will force you off track is social media. It will remove your mind from your work entirely and you will lose your momentum. Instead, we suggest getting up, walking around, grabbing a snack and some water, and keeping your mind quiet. New inspiration and ideas come to a quiet mind, one that is focused and ready to work. We even suggest doing a quick 5-minute meditation session during this time in order to keep your mind in that focus zone.
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Take time to challenge yourself to see how much you are capable of accomplishing in a certain amount of time. This idea of having to get it done within a designated time period will automatically force you to stay concentrated on that task and not lose your focus. Think of this as a game, and you absolutely have to complete this task before the time is up. This concept forces us to dial in and puts your mind under pressure and can also be a fun tool for focus.
REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS
Cell phones, computers, tablets, distractions are everywhere and whether we let those distractions make us fall off track is completely in control of us. Social media is one of the biggest distractions for many of us out there. It is so easily accessible that it almost seems as though it is impossible not to check it. Putting a limit on screen time especially when you know you have a task that you need to accomplish is vital to staying focused. Put your phone out of reach or on Do Not Disturb and get to work!
CREATE A “VITAL TO-DO LIST”
Create your list of most important things to get done and start going after them one at a time. Vital work is defined as work that is aligned with your larger purpose. Do not make these tasks general, write out the specifics to each task and what it is going to take in order to check each one off of your list. Try doing this before you go to bed for the next day and watch how much you will be able to get accomplished in your day compared to when you were not creating a list like this.
VISION BOARD
If lists are not really your thing, try creating a vision board with pictures, words, or phrases on it on what you are trying to accomplish and stay focused on. Creating a vision board is a fun way to stay focused, and it is a great feeling when your vision board turns into a “reality board”. Hang this board up somewhere that you can look at it every day, multiple times a day so that it is constantly on your mind and you don’t lose focus.
UPGRADE
Last but certainly not least, we have Upgrade. This product was designed for focus and unwavering mental clarity. Upgrade was created with all-natural ingredients that work parallel with your brain to create that unbeatable focus and drive. Upgrade gets rid of that mental fog that we sometimes feel especially when working on a long time- consuming task. The amount of focus and clarity that comes from this one little bottle is 100% unbeatable!
How Does Your Body Actually Focus & How To Get Better At It
