4 Techniques To Maintain Focus And Make It Easier For You To Complete Tasks

Attention is a rare commodity, especially when we take into account the amount of stimuli, artificial and non-artificial, that surround us. The noise, the devices, the messages, the news, in short, the circumstances that compete for our attention are many, making maintaining focus, at times, a truly difficult objective. The usual result is that planned activities are not completed.

Staying focused is essential to making time go more. Likewise, to get the tasks completed, but not in any way, but in the correct way. Distractions make days go by without doing what is due, but also without having free time.

There are several techniques that help you stay focused to make better use of your time  and increase productivity. The objective is that the commitments can be fulfilled in an adequate way and that, at the same time, there is enough rest. The following are four very effective techniques.

1. Train the mind to stay focused

The best way to stay focused is to organize your work into 25-minute blocks, with five-minute breaks after each block. This is the famous Pomodoro technique. Some suggest that the ideal block is 20 minutes.

Be it one or the other, the truth is that many people fail to avoid distractions in that short period of time. The consultant Stacey Harmon has indicated that so that this does not happen, it is necessary to train the mind, so that it is able to discard  the distractions that arise during the block.

If the distraction is external, for example, a person sending a message or a colleague asking for a favor, the right thing to do is to promptly notify us that we are not available for “x” minutes. If the distraction is internal, for example, an intrusive thought, it is advisable to write it down on a piece of paper, go ahead and go back to it later.

2. Schedule the tasks according to your ultradiano rhythm

Attention and concentration are fluctuating capacities. They don’t have the same intensity all the time. Humans have a biological clock known as the circadian cycle. This is 24 hours and determines the hours of work and rest, food, etc.

The ultradian rhythm corresponds to the cycles of greater and less vitality and attention, within each circadian cycle. They last 90 minutes, but they are not the same for everyone. Therefore, it is advisable to have a daily follow-up for two weeks. The idea is to rate each working hour from 1 to 5, depending on the level of concentration that was had.

Thus, 1 is low concentration and 5 is maximum. After two weeks you will have gathered enough information to know what your personal ultradian rhythm is. The idea is that by knowing it, the lapses of greater concentration can be dedicated to the most complex tasks. Of course, the times of less concentration will be dedicated to what is easier.

3. Disconnect periodically

Distracting yourself and having idle thoughts is much more important than it seems. It is so necessary that for that very reason the mind cannot keep focus on the tasks and is often lost among trivial ideas or actions.

Many experts agree that it is very important to spend some periods of the day daydreaming, or rambling. The secret is knowing when to do it and when not to. So it is not convenient while working on something that requires attention.

On the other hand, it is when mechanical tasks are carried out, such as organizing the desk or papers, taking a walk after lunch, etc. These pauses free the mind and make it easier to stay focused.

4. Choosing the right place to work

It is best to adapt the workspace to minimize  distractions . Busy or noisy places are not good friends for concentration. The problem is that you don’t always have a comfortable office away from the madding crowd.

The most appropriate in these cases is to adapt the space in the best way. If there is a lot of noise, headphones or ear muffs can fix it. If the traffic of people is high and concentration is needed, take advantage of the less crowded hours.

Connoisseurs also recommend changing the workspace from time to time. These modifications often result in a greater willingness to stay focused on what is being done. And, finally, as long as the cell phone can be turned off, much better.