It can be hard to stay productive and self-motivated when you’re facing a computer screen all day. We’ve all been there… you get dozed off staring out your window, twiddling your thumbs, putting off your next task, or checking your phone every 2 minutes because you think you heard it vibrate.
Time goes by, and before you know it, nothing gets done. You know you need to get stuff done, but your deadlines aren’t enough to convince you to actually roll up your sleeves and focus.
So what is it? Why can’t you focus on anything? More importantly, what can you do to actually get to work and finish on time (without all the added stress of knowing it’s crunch time)?
There’s two main reasons as to why you’re not focusing…
- You’re way too tired
- You’re spinning too many plates
These are all valid reasons as to why you can’t seem to buckle down and check off the task off your ToDo list.
Luckily we have the perfect solutions to your problems.
What to do if you catch yourself yawning:
If you’ve been debating whether or not to go brew yourself that third cup of coffee… I have news for you: you’re overtired and that’s impending your ability to focus.
There’s a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and cognitive function. This means if you’re not getting enough sleep at night, it will truly impair your work and concentration.
Although you may think all you need is coffee, that’s just a band aid solution.
One of the best things you can do is have a big glass of water instead. One of the biggest symptoms of dehydration is sleepiness. So, chugging some water can combat the yawns.
Get your blood pumping by heading outside for a quick walk. N. Shishegar and M. Boubekri state that some exposure to daylight enhances your attention, as well as your work performance.
Of course these are just some quick fixes during your working hours but to truly get back on track, try rearranging your schedule to make sure you hit the hay at a decent hour. The National Sleep foundation says you should be getting anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep per night to fully recharge.
What to do if you catch yourself in a “juggling act”:
I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again that multitasking is killing your productivity. If your focus feels depleted, it’s a sign that you might be spinning too many plates at once.
In a blog from Cleveland Clinic, they state how people might think they work faster when multitasking, they actually produced less work. All this and they also had higher stress levels.
It sounds fairly easy to tell yourself that you’re only going to focus on one thing at a time. But, if you’ve ever actually tried doing it, you know just how hard it can be.
Start by creating an environment that’s distraction free, or as distraction free as possible. Put your phone away, clean your workspace, close off any unnecessary tabs on your computer screen, and if you concentrate better with some light background noise, try searching for soothing beats on your music streaming platforms.
One HUGE technique that really helps and enhances productivity is the Pomodoro Technique. It’s a time management method that breaks down your work and break time to produce the best quality work and recharge in between.
There could be a million different reasons as to why you aren’t focusing or feel your battery life is low. If you don’t feel identified with any of the reasons listed above, maybe you’re just not feeling it at the end of the day.
Good news is that what you’re dealing with or trying to put off for later isn’t a matter of life or death. Take a couple minutes to yourself, be gentle with yourself and try your best to refocus when you’re ready.
Combine these two tricks with a good diet, and staying hydrated, and before you know it, it will feel like you have more hours in the day than before.
