6 Ways to Minimize Interruptions When You Need to Focus

You’re racing through your work, totally in the zone, when…

… the phone rings.

You stop, and answer it. Wrong number.

After a few minutes, you manage to get back into your work. You’re back in the zone when…

… a colleague wanders past and strikes up a conversation.

It takes you ten minutes to get rid of him. And by this point, you’ve lost the thread of what you were doing.

In almost every sort of work, we need periods of highly-focused concentration. Perhaps you have to analyze some complex figures, or write an important report, or put together a presentation: whatever it is, you need to be able to sit down, uninterrupted, and get it done.

The problem is, in most workplaces, it’s hard to get a few hours of uninterrupted time. If you work from home, it can be even worse: you don’t just have potential interruptions from colleagues and clients, you also have a partner, kids or housemates.

It might seem like interruptions are out of your control: after all, you can’t get rid of your colleagues, or stop clients from phoning. But even if you can’t eliminate interruptions entirely, you can definitely minimize them.

Here’s how: Read the Rest of This Article »

6 Ways to Stay Productive When You’re Feeling Low

It can be hard to stay focused and productive at the best of times. But when you’re feeling low – whether that’s physically or emotionally – then it can seem almost impossible to concentrate.

Maybe you have a daunting number of things to get done … but you can’t seem to summon up the energy to tackle any of them. You might end up doing something totally counter-productive: procrastinating, or tackling the easy, unimportant tasks, or even driving yourself to tears.

Here’s how to keep yourself on track: Read the Rest of This Article »

The Secret to Doing Your Best Work Effortlessly

Have you ever found yourself daydreaming or just not into your work? Do you feel like it’s a struggle sometimes to concentrate or to get anything done? And at other times, are you able to do your work effortlessly, getting everything done quickly and efficiently? What’s going on here? It might not be you. It might not be your work. It might be your location. Read the Rest of This Article »

4 Simple Ways to Maintain Concentration

Ever find yourself struggling to focus? Yep, me too. In a constantly-connected world, we always seem to have distractions at our fingertips. Sitting down and concentrating, whether it’s on a report for work or an essay for school, can be really tough.

And, all too often, we make it harder on ourselves.

Here are four simple ways to boost your chances of concentrating.

1.  Write Down What You’re Working On

This might sound like a silly tip, but it can be incredibly effective. When you start working on something, write down what you’re doing. For instance: “Finish report on widgets” or “Respond to all new emails”.

Whenever you get tempted to do something else, or when something “urgent” comes up, look down at your bit of paper and remind yourself of what you’re doing. If you do switch tasks, make a note of what you’ve changed to. Read the Rest of This Article »

7 Simple Ways to Clear Your Mind

Do you ever feel like your brain is tied in knots?  Do
your thoughts resemble a massive ball of string,
wound messily and tightly together?  Are you unsure
of what to do next?

This feeling is all too common in a world of sensory
overload and multiple responsibilities.  The
ultrabusy person sometimes feels like thoughts
don’t even get a chance to fully form.
At times of high stress, where we are trying to
satisfy multiple demands at once, it feels like
our minds are being constricted with warring priorities.

Let’s talk about some ways to untangle, unwind, and
refocus.  Here are seven simple tips to clear
your mind and get your mental house in order.
You can try any one of them, several or even all
of them. They are listed here in no particular
order: Read the Rest of This Article »