In a life full of busy routines, do you find it hard to keep your full concentration on the present moment or task? We have so many distractions around us and within us, which makes it tough to stay focused on the task we are doing right now.

In this blog, we will learn why focus is important, the factors affecting it, and how to improve it.

Let us get started.

Importance of focus

Focus is our ability to concentrate on the given task while ignoring other thoughts that are not related. Focusing on the work at hand helps us to succeed in a specific task. If we can’t focus effectively, we can’t think effectively. Here are different reasons why focus/concentration is

important:

·        Focus increases our productivity

·         It improves problem-solving

·         It helps to change our life

·         It expands our knowledge

·         It helps in achieving our goals

Now we understand that focus has a significant role in our lives. We can keep and maintain it in different ways, but before that, we need to know why we have a problem focusing.

Factors affecting focus

There are several factors affecting focus:

·         Stress (having too much on one’s plate)

·         Poor diet

·         Dehydration

·         Lack of sleep

·         Lack of physical activity

·         Multitasking

·         Our environment (people, mobile phone, weather, comfort level, etc.)

·         Inadequate information

·         Medical, emotional, or psychological problem

Ways to boost focus

Now we will look at how we can improve our focus.

1.    Make a to-do list

After getting up in the morning, take a shower, and have your breakfast. But before going to work and starting any task, jot down and plan your all-day tasks. Not only write but also prioritise those tasks from important to least important and work accordingly.

By doing this, we will have an organised list of tasks, and we should try to follow them. At the end of the day, mark what you have done and what you missed.

2.  Eliminate distractions

We need to eliminate all types of distractions when we sit to do our work. The biggest distraction nowadays is a mobile phone. We should silence all notifications before starting our work.

Research says that although that notification is very short, it triggers task-irrelevant thoughts or minds wandering, and it affects our productivity / performance.

Try to eliminate other distractions like the voices of people around you. Find a quiet place, close the door, go to the library, or do anything that works best for you.

3.    Reduce multitasking

When we multitask, we think that we are doing more than one work at a time, and we expect that to finish our tasks early. However, that is not the case. It is a killer of efficiency.

Scientists say that by multitasking, we are not giving our 100%, so we can’t be able to do every task in the best feasible way and our woquality (also performance) gets compromised.

Focus only on one project before moving to the next. It will increase our productivity. However, it takes time, but with practice, it is possible and helps you to stay focused.

4.  Practice mindfulness

Most people are living in the past or worried about their future ignoring the joys of the present moment. You should be mindful of your thoughts and where they are going and practice being present in the moment.

Start from simple training like eating, walking, cleaning, etc. You can do any activity if you are consistent. When you get used to doing small tasks with focus, then move towards bigger activities avoiding all other thoughts in mind and outside distractions.

Mindfulness has many benefits for mental well-being. And when your mental health is fine, you can easily focus on the given task. When you get distracted or have stress, practice deep breathing.

5.  Stay hydrated

Dehydration affects our concentration. We feel lazy and can’t properly concentrate on work. If we are feeling thirsty, our body is already 2% dehydrated, and this fluid loss affects our mood, memory, and brain functioning.

So, we should stay hydrated to maintain focus and good brain functioning. Our body needs 8-12 glasses of water per day. Also, taking a sufficient diet helps in improving concentration.

6.  Take proper sleep, nap, and short breaks

Take enough sleep to have enough focus on work. Avoid having screentime before going to bed because it will not release melatonin (sleep hormone) and will have trouble sleeping.

Take a nap in the daytime from 1-4 pm before the body shuts down. Power naps are very important and make our mind alert (having more focus), improving mood, productiveness, and motor skills.

Take a short break when needed as a nap. Focusing our attention elsewhere for a brief time and returning to the previous task dramatically improves concentration. Setting the alarm for 40 minutes and then taking a 5-10 min break is also helpful.

Conclusion

Focus can change our life if used correctly and where needed. However, learning to focus cannot be achieved overnight. It takes practice and, when we master this skill, we master to be successful. And by this, we can achieve a meaningful and satisfying life.

We can try any of these approaches and check which works best for us. If still focusing  gets hard, make sure to talk to a doctor or mental health professionals. There can be any underlying reasons essential to rule out like, ADHD, brain injury, etc.