MUSIC MATTERS

Have you ever worked in an open-plan office only to be driven slowly mad by a colleague chatting or slurping their coffee? This is where music can help – it provides non-invasive and pleasurable feelings, and can help you ignore those irritating distractions. 

Studies have shown that music helps increase focus in various situations – and there are even playlists to designed to do just that. While it’s largely down to personal preference, instrumental music could be a better option as you’re not distracted by lyrics. For maximum impact, connect your headphones into your computer rather than your phone – that way you’re not tempted to check your phone messages or social media. 

And check out our blog post on headphones recommendations to help you find one that cancels out background noise. 

GET ON UP 

If you find yourself really struggling to focus, get up and move around for a few minutes. A change of scenery, even if it’s just moving from one room in your house to another, combined with movement, helps to clear your mind and help you reset your focus.

TUNE INTO TECHNOLOGY

While you may be feeling like you spend too much time using technology, it could actually help. The StayFocusd online app is available for Chrome users and enables you to select the websites that are your biggest time wasters and set a time limit for browsing these sites. Once you use up your time allotment, those sites will be blocked so you can concentrate on working.

Feel like your attention span is shrinking? Try online brain games that are designed to help improve your mental focus. Lumosity is an app that provides games to challenge and improve your mind and memory. Think of it as a personal trainer for your brain.

Meditation is also a proven way to help you find focus. The Calm app has had more than 40 million downloads worldwide and offers features such as guided meditations in a wide range of goals, including dealing with anxiety, training your mind and building confidence.

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK

And finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re unable to focus for too long. For all its amazing abilities, the brain hasn’t really evolved to take in abstract information or spend prolonged periods thinking about one thing.

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