How do we improve our focus?

I recently held a Vision Board Workshop and once you have your board completed, keeping focussed on what you want is key.

This brings me to the latest book I’m listening to on Audible – Stolen Focus by Johann Hari – ‘Why can’t we pay attention’. And it’s not like we don’t know how to however it is being stolen from us – bit by bit.

There is so much information available to us now – something in the vacinty of reading 200 newspapers a day if we could. We can find out HOW TO DO ANYTHING?

How to lose weight, how to exercise?
How to write a book, start your own podcast?
How to cook Indian, Chinese, Italian, Healthy?
How to recover a lounge chair, how to make a quilt?
How to grow a veggie garden, graft a rose bush?
How to raise children, create good relationships?
How to make a dress, knit, get rid of stains?

You get it right – if we want to learn, make, or change anything – in this fast-paced world we just have to go to the internet – let’s skip the real-life try and fail method, in just 5 minutes we can fix the leaking tap, book a holiday and determine what bird is that!

Whilst we can do anything, we humans cannot do everything. In fact, we can’t even multitask – yep you heard me correctly. Our brain can only really focus on one thing at a time, what we actually do is change our focus from one thing to another and in doing that this interruption means it can take longer to do the task we set out to do.  So what can we do to retain focus and actually enjoy finishing something?

I don’t have a full comprehensive list, though I’m sure there is one out there somewhere, however I thought in this article I’d give you some things to think about that may help you focus on what you want to do, achieve, be, change or have.

To be clear I am not an expert in this area, I lose focus too (in fact whilst writing this I decided to make a phone call, pat the dog, make a coffee and then wanted a smiley face, went into my emails and yep lost focus there too! 🤣).

And if you want you can google about how we can actually focus for long periods. However in reality the majority of us, simply don’t. Just look around you, everyone is carrying their phone or on a computer flicking through with their fingers or watch their eyes speed reading.

With the introduction of the internet, smart phones, facebook, apps and the like, our ability to focus on a task has reduced significantly – to the point where we may not be as smart as we think. There is no doubt that after a period of time our brain does start to lose focus and needs a rest but, that is a whole other article.

So, after listening and researching I’ve discovered 12 ways on how to maintain focus, stay focused or things that take away your focus.

1. Stop scrolling on social media – this is mindless and the algorithms are set for us to do this intentionally. If you want to know something or follow someone set a timer or hours will pass
2. Read physical books – those we read physical books are also know to have greater empathy – children and adults alike
3. Turn off phones – whilst doing a task (hint mine is on silent and turned upside down)
4. Turn off any notifications that ‘ding’, or show a message or number of emails/messages – this is a trigger to our brain and a huge distractor on our focus
5. Write a daily list – start small 3 things maximum a day (too many can be daunting and therefore distracting and you skip between them)
6. Set a timer for 5 mins when you start something – note how many times did you lose focus – children on average focus for 19 seconds – adults 3 mins tops – imagine what this does for our productivity!
7. Set SMART goals be they for the day, week, month or year – put them somewhere you can see them
8. Try doing a daily challenge – i.e. set yourself a task to do (5mins exercise) or not do (scroll at lunchtime), for 10 days, 30 or 100 days – it may even become a good habit
9. Connect with nature
10. Eat healthy – if you are eating something sweet or having a coffee, you get the high, then the low and lose focus as your brain starts looking for the next fix
11. Create a good space to work in – clean, flowers, air plants, order all help
12. Good Sleep – a vital element to our health and wellbeing