For all of us non-essential workers who are now working from home, focus has become a rare commodity. If there weren’t enough distractions at work, there are even more at home.
In Part 1 of this article, we faced the external distractions that are not only robbing our attention, but stealing our life. That article provided tips and tools to help you consciously delete the distractions around you and prioritize your attention. Hopefully you implemented a few of them – since those tips alone can save you 30 to 90 minutes/day of lost time and attention to things that often don’t really matter. Per day! That is huge!
Yet for many of us, we have another challenge that is often more difficult to ‘delete’. You may have noticed it - your mind’s tendency to wander off topic. Your mind may already be starting to wander while reading this article. But hang in there, you can work on this.
What If My Own Brain is the Problem?
As I coach and listen to people, it becomes obvious that even when you turn off the noise around you, you are still left with the distractions that come from within. Wandering mind. Looping thoughts. Rumination on the past. Worries about the future. Curiosity about so many things and instant access to answers via the Internet.
Heck, even the slightest grumble from your stomach can send you to the fridge looking for something to relieve boredom or avoid the hard task. All of which takes you away from what you had intended to focus on.
Unless the topic is highly engaging, or unless you have trained your mind to ignore many of those internal thoughts and distractions, you will quickly lose your focus. And if you have allowed your mind to develop some bad habits – those habits only get stronger with ‘practice’.
Your Brain Evolved to Wander
If you read my articles, you will notice that I almost always go back to our evolutionary biology, seeking to understand why a behaviour might exist in the first place (be it good or bad). So many of our natural responses are the result of millions of years of evolution with one primary goal: survival.
If you keep this in mind, then you see how avoiding a hard task is, on one level, all about conserving energy. Or you can see how curiosity is really about exploring your world – which leads to greener pastures and clever tools to enhance survival. Or you can see how rumination can yield important learning from past successes or mistakes. Worry - that’s a great way of scenario planning for the hunt tomorrow. All of which support survival.
Our brains think this way for a reason - and it can still be very beneficial. So, on one hand relax - you were born to do this!
But our reality has changed from that of our ancestors. Most of us are no longer concerned about ‘surviving the day’ in a literal sense. Instead, we live in a far busier time and our biggest concern is too many things to do. And all of that worry, rumination and curiosity can get the best of us if we don’t learn to manage it.
That’s where a trained mind comes in.
So, What Can We Do?
Philosophers, religions and wisdom traditions have been wrestling with how to help people manage their thoughts and desires throughout history. It has long been recognized that if we struggle to manage our mind, we struggle to focus, prosper, have healthy relationships or be happy. Modern neuroscience finds exactly the same thing.
Creating a mind that is clear, calm and able to stay focused takes work. That said, neuroplasticity is on your side, always ready to wire in new habits, so the sooner you get started, the sooner you build the new pathways. You really can feed your focus and starve your distractions, be they internal or external distractions.
While there may not be a quick fix for distracting thoughts, here are three simple practices to help you:
1. Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and don’t get up or change your focus until the time is up. Period. Yes, your brain will still create all kinds of distracting thoughts and urges. Just notice them, understand that this is what minds have been designed to do, and move your attention back to where you want it.
2. Stillness: Sitting in stillness is training your mind. Training it to be OK with boredom. Training it to be aware of the constant stream of thoughts it generates and learning to simply notice them. And importantly, to let them pass rather than get lost in them.
3. Have a Slogan or Key Word to Anchor Your Mind. So, now you get it - minds wander. Training helps – it literally creates a mind that wanders less. But whether you are training your puppy or your mind, anchoring words can help too. They remind you when you are on track. Pick a word like Yes, Focus, Completion or whatever works for you and write it on a Post-It, then stick in your visual field. Then use it to keep yourself on track throughout your day, like a traveler would use the North Star to keep them on course. [Note: Your brain will eventually start to tune out your Post-It note, so you will soon have to move it to a new location or change it in a way that will attract your attention once again.]
Conclusion
Finding focus is both more important and more challenging than ever. Distractions are everywhere, be it internal thoughts and urges or external triggers. Many of us have accepted life with a fractured focus, always moving, skimming, checking whatever drifts into our attention. Most of us use some form of multi-tasking to manage this – which seems like a good coping strategy, except that it doesn’t work. It makes you slower, less accurate, less productive overall and more stressed. Ultimately, your work suffers, and you are less happy.
We need to take back our focus and attention. Practice these tips (and those in Part 1) for one week and I guarantee they will help you delete the overwhelm in your life, focus on what matters most and start to live the life you are here to live.
And if you need help getting on top of this, that’s where I come in. To learn more about how I train amazing people like you to be more resilient, focused and connected to the people in their lives, please schedule a FREE consultation with me HERE.