If your typical work day includes getting yelled at about your TPS reports, someone always talking about his red stapler, or always getting distracted by six different bosses, you may need to find ways to stay focused.
The average person is easily distracted at work. According to research, more than 50 percent of Americans say they work for at least 15 minutes before getting distracted and more than 53 percent report wasting an hour or more a day because of distractions. The reasons vary, but they are mostly due to distracting noise, fatigue, stress and other weird things that can come up.
The attention span of an individual varies in different situations, but people in their 20’s have the largest disadvantage when it comes to being able to stay focused. This is due to the explosion of the internet, social media, text messaging and who knows, maybe butterflies. Here broskis listen, this one is for you: research has suggested that men have a harder time focusing on tasks than women and are more likely to suffer from ADD.
However, it’s possible to find your rhythm! It might be cliché, but having a job you love will allow you to tackle difficult tasks more effortlessly. It’s easy to concentrate on enjoyable tasks at work
Here are 5 tips that can help you focus at work and make the most of the day!
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Plan Ahead. Before you head into work, whether you love or hate it, plan out everything you need to get done. This helps you prioritize projects and keeps you focused on one task at a time. If you have a tendency to come to work and go with the flow, you will feel more distracted and stressed because it will seem like you’re going 1,000 miles per hour.
- Get Enough Sleep. The amount of sleep you get the night before can almost predict the levels of concentration and accomplishments you will get done. Since your employer would not look at you kindly if you were taking a little snooze under your desk, many experts still advise people to get about eight hours of sleep.
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Eat a Good Breakfast. Your mother probably has told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, she was absolutely right. Studies have shown that eating breakfast in the mornings can improve attention and concentration.
- Take Little Breaks. Make sure at least once every 30 to 45 minutes you stand up and stretch. This can take you a long way! Studies have shown that people who decide to skip lunch or stay extra late to finish projects actually hinder their performance the next day or are more susceptible to making mistakes. Short bursts of hard, intense work followed by quick breaks can be more beneficial to your work and health.
- Remove Yourself. Sometimes your stress and focus levels are due to your surroundings. If you are around stressed out people, you will be stressed. If you are around a talkative person, you will talk. Try putting on head phones, as it will block out these distractions.
