For almost every professional, there are times during the day where it feels impossible to stay focused on the job task at hand, even if you are not tired. This can be a function of stress, lack of sleep, or poor work habits. Follow these 7 tips to steer yourself back towards productivity when your workday focus starts to wane:
1. Change Your Scenery
Move around. Stretch behind your desk. Take a lap around the office, or a quick walk outside. Studies show that a lack of diversity in what your eyes take in can lead to a stunt in your productivity in the workplace, so give them a change of scenery once every few hours!
2. Take Incessant Notes at Work
Writing down EVERYTHING – from meeting notes, to task lists and things your boss says during the day – can actually help you focus. When you transcribe a thought onto paper, your brain is unburdened, and can focus more freely on what you’re doing, returning to the written note at a later time.
3. Overestimate Necessary Time
If you give yourself more time than necessary for each task that you need to complete, not only will the work day go by faster, but you will be less stressed about falling behind at work. Having extra time feels like a mental reward, and that means you can better focus on one task at a time, completing them and crossing them off your list in a timely manner.
4. Snack throughout the day
Even if it’s just a few apple slices while you’re crunching numbers, food is fuel and keeps your body going. If you snack constantly, you won’t have to worry about being too hungry to focus, or taking time to eat a big meal in the middle of the work day.
5. Celebrate Your Successes
If you feel left behind and bogged down in the stress of your day, jot down a quick list of your 5 most recent accomplishments. Being able to visualize the awesome things you have already achieved will motivate you to focus on getting new things done, and doing them well!
6. Choose a Career that Engages You
Working for your optimal salary is only ideal if you’re happy in your job as well! Feeling challenged, necessary, and successful are part and parcel of remaining interested in the work you do on a daily basis. Strongly consider work/life balance, company culture, and availability of challenges, in addition to compensation, in a new position before making your next career move!