Don’t you just hate those days at work when you just can’t focus on work? In fact, in an ever-connected world, an increasing number of people are facing this problem. On one hand, technology has enabled people to do more in less time, however, the number of distractions it offers has also risen. Each and every day, we try to figure out how to concentrate and focus on work, and thus also increase productivity.
So, what are the ways to increase productivity, and how to concentrate and focus on work?
Walk
How many times have we come across situations when we just cannot concentrate? We read what is written on the screen but the brain just does not register any information. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? One very good way to tackle this is going away from your desk! Yes, that’s right. Just leave what you are doing and take a walk. In case your office is too small, use the time to exchange pleasantries with people from different departments. Such a small break of four to five minutes will then enable you to focus on your tasks.
Music
Some times distractions are not internal. They come from outside. It is obvious that an office will rarely be quiet. People conversing, phones ringing, faxes, printers, etc will ensure that the decibel level will never go low. Use music to escape such a kind of atmosphere. If you don’t have a digital media player, you can always use your smartphone to store and listen to music via headphones. Whatever your taste of music is, just ensure that it keeps you pumped up and enthusiastic, and cancels the din from outside.
Phones
We don’t need to stress how the advancement in telecommunication has brought the world closer. Not to mention cheap call rates, especially for cell phones, ensure that most people will not think twice before calling. Phone calls usually can end up being a distraction. In case you are working on something very important, keep your cell phone on the silent mode and instruct the board attendant to not forward calls for a specified amount of time, maybe for half an hour or 45 minutes.
Digital Distractions
Facebook, Twitter, emails, SMS (Short Message Service). Got the link? Though these are communication enablers, they often turn out to be distractions. The best way to tackle this is to have a dedicated time for social media. Just like email, make it a habit to check these sites at regular intervals, i.e. twice or thrice in a day. Ditto with SMSes, you can check it every once in awhile, maybe once every two hours.
These are a few tips we are sure will answer your question on how to concentrate and focus on work and enable you to increase your productivity. Do you use any other methods? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.
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