Are you distracted? Here are 10 quick things to do when you can’t focus
Have you ever had moments where you were so distracted that nothing got done?
Perhaps, these were moments where you were struggling to focus on work, staring blindly at the blinking cursor on your laptop, yet unable to do anything.
You may have even succumbed to the shiny pull of social media or games on your phone.
I know I have, and it wasn’t great.
I would usually be overcome with guilt. Guilt over wasted time and wasted opportunity. Not because these activities were inherently bad but because they were not the things I wanted to do.
Have you ever experienced this?
If you have, then you probably want to do better.
One of the realities of today’s world is that we are suffering from an attention epidemic. It’s becoming harder to spend meaningful time on the things that matter.
Of course, there are different reasons for this – some argue that information overload is the cause. Others believe that our fear of missing out has us constantly thinking of other things when we are working, making focus impossible.
Rather than getting bogged down with the reasons why, here are 10 things you can do to limit distractions and increase your focus.
10 Crazy Effective Ideas for when You can’t Focus
The next time you’re struggling with work and can’t seem to move past the first page of that report you’re writing, here are some things to do:
1. Take a Break.
Take a few minutes to just be. You can use this time for some deep breathing exercises to help you stay centered; check your thought process. This can also help you become more self aware.
Use this time to declutter your mind.
For example, you can do a brain dump – write out all the things on your mind. Getting them out of your head can make room for you to focus on work.
2. Take a Walk
Get up and move around.
Walking provides an opportunity for your mind to process things, while also getting some exercise in.
3. Prayer & Meditation
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
From experience, praying has been an effective remedy against a distracted mind. To turbocharge your time, you can go on a prayer walk (this is one of my favorite things).
4. Nap
In our forever ‘on’ world, there are times when all we need is a few minutes of some shut-eye to rejuvenate our minds and bodies. Listen to your body, a sleep-deprived person will always struggle with focus.
5. Connect with Others
This is a good time to call or reach out to your friends and family. Organize meet-ups or take up other bonding activities.
6. Exercise
Move your body. Exercise. This will not only improve your mood but also your health and appearance. A quick 10-minute workout can help stave off lethargy and tiredness.
Perhaps this is a great time to try out that online pilates class or HIIT drill.
7. Run errands.
A lack of focus on your work can present an opportunity to run any important/urgent errands.
Okay, I know that there are times when running errands is the worst use of our time. But this depends, do those you can and delegate the rest.
8. Review Your Plans and Progress
Many times, a distracted mind is a mind without a plan.
Planning helps guide our actions; it gives us a blueprint of what we should be doing. A good plan also helps us prioritize our tasks or activities.
9. Play
When was the last time you jumped around or you laughed so hard a little pee came out?
There is this foolhardy argument that the older we get the more serious we should be. I don’t know where we got that.
Playing is a big part of retaining our zest for life. It increases our feel-good hormones and this can improve our attitude and energy levels.
We need to make time for fun activities. Making time to have fun should be an intentional part of growing up and not something to be ashamed of.
10. Dream
You’re probably wondering what this is doing on the list.
Let me explain – I have found that when I actively daydream, basically steer the course of the dream to the goals and plans I have, this often motivates me to work on them.
It acts as a rudder leading me back to land/reality. Try it and see how it goes.
Be Jealous with Your Time.
I follow quite a few productivity gurus on SM, and one thing they all seem to agree on is how we use the little moments.
Here’s why: an innocent scroll through SM or a quick Google search can easily turn into many hours lost doing what does not move your life forward.
Yes, we need to chill sometimes, and I agree. This was why I advocated for play and naps. The difference is that you intentionally take up these activities rather than a passive transition into potentially regressive activities.
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