“What you focus on grows”
Esther Hicks
Are you familiar with a feeling that no matter what you do, you’re unable to focus on the task at hand? It happens to all of us at one point or another. More often than not we are able to get out of it without realising. Sometimes though it is harder than usual. No matter what you try, you are not able to focus. Checking the to-do list, reading list that is piling up, finish the blog post for the week, workout, no matter what you pick up to do seems like your head is not in it. You pick up the book and your mind wanders, you start workout and you leave it midway and so on. If you are familiar with the situation, read on to see how do I deal with it.
What do I do when I can’t focus?
1. Find out the reason I can’t focus
The first step to find your focus is to reflect on exactly what is happening when you are trying to focus. There can be a number of reasons why you are not able to focus on something. It can be something that is related to your daily habits, external distractions or a medical reason that requires expert attention and advice. Let’s take a look at the common causes why we aren’t able to focus:
1. External distractions
There are multiple distractions in our daily lives. From various noises outside, to notifications in every electronic device we have, family at home or colleagues at work seeking our attention. These are easier to pinpoint and even take care of when it comes to getting back our focus. We can set expectations about work timing and find a dedicated room. Turn off the notifications and find some focus time for ourselves.
2. Sleep deprivation
Not enough sleep is another common factor for not able to focus. Research says that if you are sleep deprived, it is equivalent to having had alcohol. It’s crucial to get enough sleep every day to not only stay focused but also other health factors. Not getting enough sleep impacts your memory, mood and overall health.
3. Skipping meals or not eating healthy
Anytime I am not able to focus and start noticing the pattern, not eating healthy is usually one of the factors. Our body needs nutrition to function properly. If you are eating junk food or consuming too much caffeine, it deprives your body of elements it needs. Next time you aren’t able to focus, check if you are hungry or have been snacking on the pringles too much.
4. Too much going on
Sometime there’s just a lot going on in your work and / or personal life. Too many projects have the deadlines nearing. It’s difficult to focus if there are too many things on your mind. Getting organised and asking for help is the first step.
5. Stress and anxiety
It could also be that you are stressed about a situation and can’t focus on anything. Anytime you start to work your mind wanders off to the topic you are stressed about. It could be a crisis situation or something else. If it’s something that’s causing you stress, you won’t be able to focus on anything else. Usually once you take care of the stressful situation, you will be back on track.
Sometimes I am stressed or anxious about the task at hand. Because of this anxiety I avoid the actual task I need to focus on and spend my time on other activities that may appear productive i.e. cleaning, organising, checking rest of the items on my todo list. This is not helpful until i look for the reason I am stressful about and figure out hoe to handle that. However, if you notice that you are under stress for a longer period of time it’s good to seek medical advice.
6. Screen time addiction
There are all forms of addictions that take away our sense of control and power. We give into the addiction. For the sake of this post, I am not getting into deeper addiction with alcohol or drugs as that require expert care. I am talking about the internet, social media or just plain screen time addiction that’s become prevalent in the past decade. Whether it’s the need to stay on top of what’s happening around the world or just in your social circle, or we are just mindlessly scrolling without realising that we are. Our phones have become extension of our limbs.
If you catch yourself picking up your phone every few seconds on the minute you have nothing to do, that’s the habit causing lack of focus. We are slowly losing the habit of letting ourselves be bored. Our mind is constantly stimulated, with meaningful and meaningless information. The NCBI research says there is noted impact on not only sleep quality but cognitive ability, social and emotional competence because of too much screen time. This is a new era and a lot of research is yet to take place, but with personal experience, when I am struggling to focus, I see a pattern of spending too much time on screen.
7. Other health reasons
There can be other medical conditions that cause you to lose focus i.e. depression, anxiety, ADHD, insomnia or even thyroid related condition. It’s best to seek advice from the designated health professional.
How do I regain my focus?
“Success demands singleness of Purpose”
Vince lombardi
Once you narrow down the reasons you can’t focus, half the battle is won. For the other half, apart from serious health reasons, I follow the following tips to get back my focus:
2. Cut down or stop screen time
We live in a world where screens are part of everything we do. I try and cut down the time I spend on screen apart from work. I stop watching anything on laptop or phone, I keep my phone away and on ringer (I have muted all the other notifications) so if someone needs me I can hear the ring and I don’t feel the need to check it every few minutes.
3. Read
Instead of spending time on screen, I like to pick up physical book and just read something. I get the benefit of learning something and I don’t have to look at a screen. I’ve always enjoyed reading so that’s an added bonus.
4. Go for a walk or do some physical activity
There are times though, when I can’t focus on what I am reading. That’s when I know I need to get off my ass. I usually go for a walk or choose to do something physical. It gets my body moving, I get the benefit of endorphins and because I need to walk I pay attention to the road and steps. It also helps me spend time in nature. Looking at nature around you helps relax your mind. I find a walk especially helpful if I’ve a lot on my mind. It helps mean sort my thoughts and am usually able to make sense of what’s going on and what my course of action should be.
I remember once I had so much on my mind that I walked for hours until my legs were completely tired. Physically tiring myself helped me sleep and I was better equipped to deal with what was going on. If you enjoy playing any sport that might be even better, because then you will need to focus on the game and that will help you get your mind back on track. You can also so something else that will tire you physically in a good way, like tending to your garden. One, it will give you something to focus on and two, it will tire your muscles and help you sleep better.
5. Journal
If I can’t go out and I can’t read, I start to write something. Anything that’s on my mind. Just putting your thoughts on paper helps sorting them. It brings a bit of clarity and I am able to think about my next action.
6. Pay attention to my diet
This is also something I lose track of easily. I get so tied up in the hustle and bustle that I resort to just quickly fixing something for myself. When I notice I have been doing this, I surround myself with healthier options. So whether or not I have time, when I am looking to cook something or snack on something I have the healthier options. I also reduce the caffeine intake.
When you look at the list, it’s nothing special. The thing with life is when we are stuck, we forget the obvious and sometimes we need someone to remind us of the obvious. So maybe next time you are not able to focus, you can be reminded of what you can do to get your focus back.
Until next week. Ciao!
