PERSONAL
SPECIAL 8 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR FOCUS
OUR
ATTENTION SPANS ARE DWINDLING, BUT FOCUS IS A MUSCLE THAT YOU CAN BUILD IF YOU
WORK ON IT. PAY ATTENTION: HERE ARE EIGHT WAYS.
The average human has
an eight-second attention span—less than that of a goldfish, according to a
2015 study from Microsoft. That number has shrunk over the years due to
our digital connectedness and the fact that the brain is always seeking out
what’s new and what’s next.
"No matter what
environment humans are in, survival depends on being able to focus on what’s
important—generally what’s moving. That skill hasn’t changed, it’s just moved
online," writes Alyson Gausby, consumer insights lead for Microsoft
Canada.
So what do you do when
you need to focus on work—and not what’s moving around you? For most people,
the first and most important step to increasing focus is to change the way you
view it, says Elie Venezky, author of Hack Your Brain.
"Focus is a
muscle, and you can build it," he says. "Too many people labor under
the idea that they're just not focused, and this becomes a self-fulfilling
prophesy. Once you drop this mistaken belief, you can take a much more
realistic approach to building focus."
With a combination of
mindset and tools, it’s possible to set up an environment that fosters focus.
Here are eight tricks and tips for eliminating distractions and paying
attention to what you need to do:
Before a task, calm
your brain, says Venezky. "Take a minute or two to sit in a comfortable
position and breathe deeply into your stomach," he says. "You don't
have to sit cross-legged or chant. Let your body calm down before you approach
your work. You'll find it really helps you concentrate."
Focus also involves an
understanding of what is worthy of your distraction, says Ron Webb, an
executive director at the American Productivity
and Quality Center, a nonprofit research
organization. "Success comes down to embedding that focus into the flow of
how you work," he says.
Webb suggests taking
time to identify what deserves your focus for the year, for the month, for the
week, and for the day. Then look at your calendar and block time dedicated to
focus.
FOCUS ALSO INVOLVES AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS WORTHY OF YOUR DISTRACTION.
If you need to focus,
log out of email and social media. "Even if you live and die by email, do
yourself a favor and log out for 30 minutes either in the beginning of the day
or for a period in the afternoon," says Jan Bruce, coauthor of meQuilibrium: 14 Days to Cooler,
Calmer, and Happier. "You won’t believe how much you can
get done when you’re not always interrupting yourself to return emails."
That morning coffee
doesn’t just help you wake up; it helps you focus on the day. If you need an
attention booster in the afternoon, a coffeeshop run might do the trick. In a
study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, French physiologist Astrid Nehlig identifies
a connection between caffeine and cognition. While caffeine doesn’t improve
learning or memory performance, Nehlig found it does increase physiological
arousal, which makes you less apt to be distracted and better able to pay
attention during a demanding task.
If it’s too hot or too
cool in your work environment, it could impact your focus. Astudy from Cornell University found that
workers are most productive and make fewer errors in an environment that is
somewhere between 68 and 77 degrees. Another study from the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland says
the magic temperature is 71 degrees. If you don’t control the thermostat, you
can opt to bring a sweater or a fan.
Too much background
noise can be very distracting, but according to a study from the Wake Forest
School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina published in Scientific Reports, having music playing helps you focus on your
own thoughts. The catch? You had to like the song.
"Given that
musical preferences are uniquely individualized phenomena and that music can
vary in acoustic complexity and the presence or absence of lyrics, the
consistency of our results was unexpected," the researchers wrote.
Whether it’s
Beethoven, the Beatles, or the Beastie Boys, turn it up and get to work.
Instead of succumbing
to distraction, build it in, suggests a study from the University of Illinois.
Psychologist Alejandro Lleras found that participants who were given short
breaks during a 50-minute task performed better than those who worked straight
through.
The study examines a
phenomenon called "vigilance decrement," or losing focus over time.
Taking a short break in the middle of a long task reenergizes the brain.
"We propose that
deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused,"
writes Lleras. "Our research suggests that, when faced with long your
task."tasks, it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental
breaks will actually help you stay focused on
If you’re sitting in
on a long meeting or conference, improve your focus—and your artistic skills—by
doodling. According to a study from the University of Plymouth in
England, doodling aids in cognitive performance and recollection.
"Doodling simply
helps to stabilize arousal at an optimal level, keeping people awake or
reducing the high levels of autonomic arousal often associated with
boredom," writes lead researcher Jackie Andrade.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3050123/work-smart/8-ways-to-improve-your-focus?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter&position=6&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=08262015
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