Five Simple Tips You Can Do to Focus at Work

Many Filipinos aspire to land a job abroad to help support their families in the Philippines and to further their career in their chosen field. They say starting is easy, but finishing is hard. And there is some truth in that statement, especially for us Filipinos who choose to find work opportunities abroad. Oftentimes, we feel so inspired to start a new job, a new project, or even a new business. But as the days pass by, we don’t feel inspired as much as when we started and that’s perfectly normal.

Even at the comfort of your very home, you’ll sometimes find it hard to focus or to keep your mind from wandering elsewhere. In line with this, we need to know that there are some things that we can do or change in our lifestyle habits such as getting enough sleep to help improve our overall concentration at work. However, when we find ourselves feeling restless because of a bad night’s sleep (which really happens!), do know that there are certain “tricks” that we can do to get our energy and concentration up for the rest of the day. Here’s how:

5 Easy Tips to Stay Focused at Work

1.      Do some exercise.

Right off the bat, this is one of the more challenging things you can do to keep your energy and concentration up throughout the day simply because many people “think” that doing some exercise will just wear the out. On the contrary, exercise does as much help for the brain as it does for the body. Exercise helps increase oxygen flow into the brain, which benefits our memory, concentration and overall functioning/ productivity. If you don’t want to be all sweaty and worn out at the start of your day, you can manage with some light exercise in the form of brisk walking or simple stretching during your break. Aside from clearing your mind from stressful thoughts, doing exercise can help improve your body’s circulation as well as relieve any stiff muscles and aching joints.

2.      Grab a snack.

When your body is not fully rested, it’s going to need more nourishment than it usually does to compensate for the lack of sleep and to sustain all functions throughout the day. Remember to always keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. A lot of people live on coffee to get them through the day, but what they do not know is that caffeine only gives the body a temporary “high” and may eventually take a toll on your heart, kidneys and liver. The important thing to remember is that nothing can replace water. Also, keep in mind to incorporate brain-nourishing foods such as green leafy vegetables, avocado, blueberries, nuts, flax seeds, and fatty fish into your regular meals. Doing this and avoiding sugary foods such as chocolate and candies can help your body get the energy it needs to be able to work throughout the day. But if you’re having some serious chocolate craving, remember to choose dark chocolate made of at least 70 per cent cocoa just to curb your appetite.

3.      Shut out Distractions.

This is so much easier said than done. Keeping your focus in doing a task is one thing but being able to multitask is another. And most of the times, you need to do both at work. So, how do you do it? By limiting the amount of distractions you accommodate at work – say, for example, using your gadgets or dealing with you co-workers. If an important project is on the line, you might want to sacrifice some chat time at the pantry or playing games on your phone during break just so you can focus on the task/s at hand. But most importantly, you need to communicate this to other people before you “zone them out”.

4.      Take time to Meditate

Like the true sages such as Buddha and Gandhi, we, too, need to practice meditation to clear our thoughts from all the daily “clutter” that has accumulated in our minds. By doing so, we let go of our anxieties and worries and we allow our body and mind to realign to focus on what’s in front of us. You can do this by finding a quiet and comfortable spot and clearing your mind of unnecessary thoughts while taking slow and deep breaths for up to ten minutes. After whch, you may proceed back to work. If you can build on this habit on a regular basis befre you go to work, you’ll learn to develop the ability to “clear your consciousness” and find renewed concentration and enhanced productivity at work.

5.      Use your break/s.

Not to be done to escape work, but more of a “reset” process for better focus and concentration. If you can find some time to drop everything work-related for a short while to help you regain your composure, then do so. A few minutes of “time-off” can help you get through a long day of work.

 

Finally, always evaluate your performance based on your goals. If you go back to the reason why you’re doing what you do in the first place, then you will draw some inner motivation to do your best to focus and be more productive at what you do.