The Focus You Are Craving For...

Have you ever tried to focus on a task and wish to finish it within a day? Or maybe some days, if not weeks?

Let’s say, YES but one more thing, are you 100% focused on the task that you’re working on right now?

No? Yes? Maybe?

Now, put your phone down. The factor that made you not focus well on your task is distraction.

Yes, distraction. You might say that it is because of your devices that keep you distracted every day.

It is more than that. Your environment, mental and physical plays the same role here. You might be wondering why.

Novel objects like smartphones and laptops are the most distracting things (to me). The sound of the notification from your smartphone can eventually stop you from accomplishing your task. This also can be another example of procrastinating, where the more you keep distracted (on your phone), the fewer tasks are performed.

Now how about those three aspects that I’ve mentioned earlier? How does your environment, mental and physical affect your focus?

From my observation, I asked and noticed my friend’s behavior in the university (outside and inside the class). The results that I collected are shown below:

Environment:

·World full of distractions – phones are frequently used during class.

·Uncomfortable workplace – unrepaired items, noisy and dirty surroundings can make you less focused.

·Your peers – How many times have you been distracted by them while you are working on your task? Is your conversation with them somewhat related to your task or not?

Mental Health:

·Becomes easily distracted while studying or in class (whether you were distracted by something else other than your smartphone).

·Overthinking keeps you from reaching your goals. This is known as the writer’s block where you don’t have any idea to solve the problem.

·Putting too much pressure on yourself can make you not focus and not reach your goals, leading to burnout and procrastination.

Physical Health:

·Not moving your body can cause you more stressed and feel unmotivated to do the work.

·Not having a good and consistent diet (less vegetables and fruits).

·Not having enough sleep. This can make you less focused in class and not remember what you have studied before (most common today).

To achieve that high level of focus (known as hyperfocus), you have to ask yourself first what keeps you distracted from accomplishing your task.

Easy. You will say it’s about smartphones. How about your mental health? Is it okay? Your physical health? Have you eaten something healthy today?

I’m going to make it short and simple for you to change your habits to increase your focus 10x better. Here are some of my favorite habits to become more productive:

1.Eliminate distractions – I often turn on airplane mode, if not, focus mode on my phone to decrease the distraction while working on my task. You can also block the notifications from your laptop or your iPad if you wish to do so.

2.Comfortable workplace – I usually use essence in my room. That good yet pleasant smell made my focus even better and reached my goals in just a few hours. I also put artificial plants on my desk to keep my mind relaxed just by looking at it.

3.Meditate – I meditate for 10 to 15 minutes per day to throw away my negative thoughts. The reason behind this is to avoid doubting my task which can lead me to overthink. If you’re a beginner, do it for 5 minutes.

4.Break between work time – Your brain needs to recharge. If you wish you want to study more after sleeping, you can sleep around 5 to 6 hours. Your brain needs time to rewire back the information that you have consumed a few hours before sleep. You can take a short break around 5-10 minutes or have a power nap to increase your energy.

5.Move your body – I jogged early in the morning to increase my blood circulation and level up my energy at the same time. Not only that, I go to the gym when I feel stressed out (people say you must feel the pain to reach your goals, well that’s true).

6.Consume a healthy diet – Eat more vitamins and proteins. Avoid taking snacks while doing work and if you feel hungry at midnight, avoid eating something sugary or made of dough. This keeps you awake at night known as the sugar rush. I replaced them by eating dates, dark chocolates, and antioxidants fruits such as blueberries, oranges, etc.

You can follow my habits if you do not where to start first and again you can add more if you want to do so. I can say that this is the focus that you have been craving and I will thank you if you appreciate it a lot.

Remember, prioritize your health first. Don’t neglect it or you will regret soon.

“Your story awaits. Seize the pen. Write your masterpiece.”

-Wayne.

P/S: Hello there! I have survived my hectic week and focusing on my final exam this month. I was thinking of sharing my focus-increased habits and hoping that it will work out for you! (Especially students, I wish you all the best!)