Staying focused can be tough with the ongoing demands of seemingly endless emails and phone calls. Understanding our brain’s limitations and working around them can improve focus and increase productivity.
Furthermore, because our brains are finely attuned to distraction, today’s digital environment makes it even harder to focus.
"Distractions tell us that something has changed," says David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work (HarperCollins, 2009). "A distraction is an alert which says, 'Orient your attention here now; this could be dangerous.'"
While multitasking is an important skill, there is a distinct downside. "It reduces our intelligence, literally dropping our IQ," Rock says. "We make mistakes, miss subtle cues, get upset when we shouldn't, and spell things wrong."
To make matters worse, distraction feels great. "Your brain's reward circuit lights up when you multitask,” Rock says, meaning that you get an emotional high when you're doing a lot at once.
Ultimately, the goal is not constant focus, but a period of distraction-free time every day, since even twenty minutes a day of deep focus can be transformative.
Try these three tips to become more focused and productive:
1. Do creative work first. Typically, most people do mindless work first and build up to the toughest tasks. That drains energy and lowers focus since hours into doing your work; you've got a lot less capacity than at the beginning. Each decision made throughout the day drains a little energy.
In order to focus effectively, reverse the order. Check off the tasks that require creativity or concentration first thing in the morning, and then move on to easier work, like processing emails or scheduling meetings, later in the day.
2. Allocate your time deliberately. According to a study conducted on thousands of people, we are truly focused for an average of only six hours per week.
Most people focus best in the morning or late at night, and studies show that 90 percent of people do their best thinking outside the office. Notice where and when you focus best, then allocate your toughest tasks for those moments.
3. Train your mind like a muscle. When multitasking is the norm, your brain quickly adapts. You lose the ability to focus as distraction becomes a habit.
Practice concentration by turning off all distractions and committing your attention to a single task. Start small, maybe five minutes per day, and work up to larger chunks of time. If you find your mind wandering, just return to the task at hand. As the old adage says ‘practice makes perfect’.
I tend to be most productive in the evenings. So, I save my creative tasks for that time period. Also, I find that turning off email and the phone when writing is essential to truly focus.
What do you do to limit the number of distractions? Do you have any additional tips to add? We’d love to hear more suggestions on how to maximize productivity and limit distractions.
