3 Major Focus Killers and How To Avoid Them
So there I was, sitting in a (somewhat) speedy car when my bestie, who was driving, gets ready to turn to go to Smiling Moose. I'm like, "whoa, where are you going?" This isn't where we're supposed to go for lunch! My friend looks at me like I'm cray-cray and says, this is where you suggested. I immediately realized that the place I was thinking of was NOT Smiling Moose.
But, in the lack-of-sleep induced fog, my brain was experiencing, I could not for the life of me think of what the name of the restaurant was. (hint: focus killer #2) So she kept driving and asked where it was. In my foggy stupor, I couldn't even think of that. I just said, stay on this road and get in the right lane. It's by that place, ya know! At least I could remember how to get there. Eventually, we figured it out and made it to our destination. But we also had a good laugh at how unfocused I was that day.
While there are lots of different things that can be focus killers, but there are three major ones. We’ll take a look at these focus killers one by one, and discuss what you can do to avoid them or stop them as they come up.
I hope these ideas are helpful and allow you to find your way back to working with focus and concentration, allowing you to get shit done!
Focus Killer #1
Lack Of Information
Nothing stops you in your track faster than lack of information. Having to go hunt down a file, or having to learn about the specifics of a project can stop you in your tracks. This is particularly annoying when you were highly focused and in your groove, plugging along, making progress. Then boom! STOP sign. Frustrating.
While you can’t always avoid this, the key here is to do your homework and get everything you think you need together before you sit down to work on a task. Yes, there are times when we don’t know what we don’t know and missing information is unavoidable. That’s ok, not much you can do about it. Simply do your best and be as prepared as you can be. Being prepared will help you be able to keep your focus most of the time.
Focus Killer #2
Too Little Sleep and Too Much Stress
Not getting enough sleep and feeling stressed out will kill your focus faster than anything else. For a good example re-read my story above. ;) The solution is simple. Get a good nights sleep, eat well, and get a little exercise to help with stress. The recommendation is 6-8 hours of sleep. Trust me on this, you will notice a difference in not just your focus, but your energy as well if you're getting enough shut-eye.
Taking time to take care of yourself, finding a hobby, or just relaxing at the end of a long day will go a long way in reducing stress, helping you sleep better. Don’t feel bad about taking some “me” time and just chilling out. It pays off in the long run.
Focus Killer #3
Distractions And then, of course, there are distractions. No matter how sharp you feel when you sit down at your desk, and no matter how much information you have in front of you, if you keep getting interrupted and distracted, you won’t be able to focus. Removing distractions is a two-step process. The first is to find and recognize the distraction. You may not think about it, but if your smartphone keeps alerting you every time you get an email or a social media post that can be a big distraction that disrupts your focus. Multiply that by dozens of alerts per day (or even per hour). This can be costly and have a huge negative impact on your productivity. Find out what’s distracting you by paying attention. Then do whatever you need to do to stop those distractions, no matter how small or innocent they seem. Read 3 Simple Focus Boosters to Help Keep You Sharp
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