If you find yourself distracted, wasting precious time and unable to focus on your tasks, it’s likely you’re not being as productive at work as you’d like. Whether it’s common distractions found around the in-office or at-home workplaces, or even mental distractions and intrusive thoughts blocking you from doing your best work, it’s easy to lose sight of the task at hand when you’re always battling against one stimulus or another.
When you’re feeling this way, it can be helpful to have a trick or two up your sleeve to help you get back on track. To share some of their favorite hacks, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council each chime in below with one hack or trick they’d recommend for finding and retaining your focus in the workplace.
Members pictured from left to right.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Do A Mindfulness Exercise
One hack or trick I have for getting my focus back on track is to take a break and do a quick meditation or mindfulness exercise. This works well because it allows me to clear my mind and refocus on the task at hand. By taking a few minutes to focus on my breath and ground myself in the present moment, I am able to let go of distractions and get back to work with renewed energy and focus. This technique works well for me because it helps me to relax, reduce stress and improve my concentration and productivity. – Benjamin Rojas, All in One SEO
2. Work With Productive People
The best trick for getting back on track is working alongside productive people. Focus is contagious, so working next to my productive and focused colleagues is always effective in making me get back on track and forget about distractions. This creates fewer chances of being interrupted. If my colleagues are not focused and they keep interrupting me, I try to set boundaries. I create a productive environment around me to keep myself and the team efficient. – Alex Circei, Waydev
3. Give Yourself A Reward To Look Forward To
One way to stay motivated at work is to reward yourself with something you enjoy every day. This could be a small treat, like your favorite candy or coffee, or something bigger, like taking yourself out for lunch. The important thing is to find something that you really like and that makes you feel energetic from within. Whatever it is that you enjoy, make sure to schedule it into your day so that you have something to look forward to. This will help you stay focused and motivated, even on days when work is challenging. Furthermore, it is a way of showing yourself that you are capable of meeting your objectives. When you feel good about what you have accomplished, it is more likely that you will continue to be motivated in the future. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
4. Clear Any Distractions From Your Environment
One hack to get your focus back on track is to create a distraction-free work environment, whether you’re at home or in an office. This can be done by creating a workspace that is free from distractions—such as being surrounded by many extraneous decorations, distractions and objects—or by getting off the internet or social media. When I am not distracted, I can focus on what I am doing. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
5. Complete Your ‘Reset Routine’
When I am not operating at peak performance, I retreat and reset my energy levels and mindset, which I do by having a “Restart Routine.” For me, a Restart Routine is an activity that recharges my batteries and feels good. I have a list of activities that fit into this category that I pick and choose from according to my current state. The list includes activities such as going for a run or to the spa for a massage, getting a haircut or a manicure or pedicure, buying new gadgets or clothing, or even more mindfulness practices such as thinking of all the things I am grateful for and recalling the serenity prayer in order to accept the situation and see what is in my capacity to change it. Taking this break gives me a different perspective, triggering solutions and ideas. Productivity just follows. – David Henzel, TaskDrive
6. Get In Some Physical Activity
Do some light physical activity. For me, it is a walk around the neighborhood or business park. Activity allows us to break the posture both mentally and physically that has led to us becoming distracted, while being leisurely enough to allow for some form of meditation. The truth is, if we are seeing physiological signs of a decrease in efficiency, we have likely not been effective for quite a while. In creating both physical and mental separation from the tasks at hand, we can then recharge effectively and come back more efficient than before. Ultimately, it is working efficiently that will check items off our lists, and taking appropriate time to recharge allows for more time at peak efficiency and productivity. Once you do this enough, you understand your habits and can plan your day accordingly. – Liam Leonard, DML Capital
7. Take A Short Nap
When you’re distracted, you’re wasting your time anyway, so why not utilize it for something that will freshen you up? Humans are highly susceptible to distractions. So, it’s normal for us to lose focus when working. What makes things worse is that when you try to regain that focus, you’ll find it more difficult compared to channeling it the first time. So, whatever the reason you lost your focus, take a step back and try not to overdo things. Take a short nap and replenish your energy. It will be much easier for you to get your mojo back with a fresh mind. – Chris Klosowski, Easy Digital Downloads
8. Think About Where And Who You Want To Be
I smile at myself and remind myself that I’m a human being. Distraction can happen to me like anyone else. Then I immediately stop what I am doing because, without undivided attention, you cannot breed quality. I leave my workstation, make a cup of coffee and think about where I want to see myself in the coming two years. How can I get there? How can I push my business to the next level within this time? I love to do this math. This simple trick motivates me from within and inspires me to sit in front of my computer again. There’s no way to get rid of distractions. You have to understand them and the psychology behind how you come back from them. There is also no single best trick for handling distraction during working hours. Everyone has their own way of handling it. – Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
9. Switch To A More Enjoyable Task
Whenever I find myself distracted and unable to focus, I check my to-do list and see if I have a task that’s a little more fun to work on. Some tasks can be boring and monotonous, and working on those makes you more susceptible to being distracted by what’s around you. While all tasks on your to-do list are important and there for a reason, prioritizing the one that piques your interest is a great way of getting back in the zone. – Jared Atchison, WPForms
10. Take Some Time Off Work
Short vacations are a great way to refocus and recharge. By taking a break from work, even for just a day or two, you can come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your tasks. This works so well because it allows you to take a step back from your work and come back with fresh eyes. – Abhijeet Kaldate, Astra WordPress Theme