How to focus on your work

Keeping yourself focused at work can be hard sometimes. Here is an occurrence you see too many times before – you start your day by telling yourself that you will get (insert amount) of the task done today. As determined as you are, you might end up having a blunt conversation with your friends, replying and sending out e-mails and of course, get really busy on social outlets – just like most of us here.

In our world which is filled with instant access to information, coworkers, and friends, finishing a solid 8-9 hour of work seems nearly impossible. Avoiding distractions, however, it is not a Back-Breaking task. Just like getting to the gym each day, staying focused while at work is a matter of building good habits.

So how do we avoid all these evil attention seeking, unnecessary task and make sure we accomplish what we should be accomplished on the day itself.  Today we are showing you 8 ways to improve your focus at work and how you can possibly discard activity that can divert your attention. Now, these tips can be subjective but it may be effective for you!

Set your goals

It is important to plan your day or rather than planning the day you should plan the whole week. It will help you to avoid reacting to every distraction which comes up. Make a list of your top priority work. Review your list each morning and decide – realistically – what task you can accomplish that day. Be confident: “I am going to finish 1- 3 project work today.”

Get your work station organized

Too much stuff within your arms’ reach or top of your desk can prove to be really distracting. To stay focused on your work, only have the things you need neatly piled on your desk – put the rest away properly, like in desk drawer or shelves. Have an area for food and drinks, your bag or purse and other personal stuff. But have them within reach so you can just grab what you need without losing focus on what you are doing.

Take small, 15-Minute Breaks, and Work in 60-90-minute blocks

Nobody is able to work for 3 hours straight without a single flicker of thought. It’s better to take regular breaks than to feel overwhelmed with multiple ideas and thoughts.

Make your 15-minute breaks a computer-free zone, meaning that you use this time to brew coffee, listen to energizing songs, chat with a colleague, or whatever you like.

Have enough water nearby

Drinking water isn’t only healthy, it refreshes you as well. Once you feel the first sign of fatigue or hunger, a glass of water can push them away. Then you can finish what you’re doing and rest at a later time. Besides, not all stomach rumblings are signs of hunger, and drinking a glass of water usually, deals with it. Just make sure you have water within arms’ reach. That way you stay focused at work instead of walking to the water station — and becoming prey to distractions!

Let others know of your strict personal policies

If you are bent on making your personal working system work, let others know it. Chances are you’d be left alone on the hours where you’re focused on the really big, important work. When people at work know you’re on your “free time”, they will pose questions and talk during such periods. Unless there’s a very urgent matter at hand, they’ll leave you at work.

After all, they want the same.

Organize your emails

Another really stressful and distracting activity is email. Let’s face it. You receive a lot of emails, likely a heavy mix of personal and work correspondence, promos and updates from sites, and spam.

One good way to avoid this is to have a separate email address for work and one for your personal email. Have them both powered to filter all emails. Once you have free time on hand, check emails again and unsubscribe from senders who you could live without. Then, organize the emails you’d attend to later. Delete the rest. Finally, check your emails only when you’re done with the most important task of the day.

Pay attention to yourself

Start to notice when and how you get distracted. What thoughts happen just before that? Are you tired, hungry, or bored? As you learn what triggers your distractions, you can head them off before you slip into an hour-long chat.

Be interested & passionate about your work

Finally, the best way to be productive is to truly enjoy and be passionate about what you are working on. We go to great lengths and hours of work for things that interest us. Yet we lose focus instantaneously if what we are doing is not important. It might take some time finding interest in the work you do, you might have to just think about the big picture or maybe focus on impressing those around you (possibly a boss) to stay on track.