5 Tips on How to Focus Better and Stop Procrastinate
The human mind is by far the most complicated of all machinery which is why it is difficult to keep it focused on a single thing. It wants to wander in the thoughts of the past, the planning of the future, and multitask at all times. Having a sharp, focused mind is not a luxury that a lot of us enjoy in the present time and age. Procrastination is common to all of us and it has its roots embedded in the wandering nature of the human mind. When you lose control over your mind and fail to focus it on the task in hand, a by-product of it is procrastination. As long as procrastination stays confined to the minor elements like postponing the due service of your car, you can live with it. But sometimes, it is the rather important tasks which start to take a hit, such as being late in creating a report at work. Whatever the scenario, there are always tips that you can deploy to keep your focus and stop procrastination.
If you have been in search of the tips and tricks which can help you stop procrastination and be in charge of your focus again, then you have landed on the right page. We will walk you through a few simple strategies which are tried and tested in sharpening your focus and protecting you against the harms of procrastination.
- Relax, Take a Breath
Unless you have a disorder, procrastination or lack of focus is always episodic. This is why it is important to be both proactive and reactive in your approach to cope with it. One of the simplest strategies that you can deploy to regain your focus and bring your attention to the task in hand is known as “Square Breathing”. The idea is to find a silent corner that takes you away from all the unnecessary noises. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on the rhythm of your breath. Inhale slowly and deeply for four seconds with your nostrils. Avoid exhaling immediately, rather, keep the air inside your body for four seconds. Then open your mouth and slowly push all the air out of it for four seconds. Repeating the exercise for a few minutes is known to remove the unnecessary thoughts, bring your attention back to the “here and now” and clear up your head for optimum performance.
- It’s Time To Meditate
When it comes to making yourself calm and peaceful, and regaining your focus to optimize productivity, nothing works as well as meditation. It is in practice for years and is a part of traditional medicine. The best part is that it doesn’t take more than a few minutes of your time and there is a wide range of exercises that you can choose from. Whatever you deem suitable and simple for you to follow, you can go with it and enjoy the same result. Exercises like mindful listening and observing are among the most used by people from all over the world. There is no requirement of special equipment to meditate. All you need is a comfortable place to sit and remove yourself from the noise. If you are following mindful listening, you can also choose to close your eyes. Afterward, with rhythmic breathing, try to bring your entire focus to a positive, harmless event in the present. Sounds like that of the falling rain or chirping birds are known to be the most effective. You can also find a guided mindful listening track, a bunch of which are available on the internet for no cost. With guided meditation, you will have an instructor with a soothing voice to stimulate your sense of hearing and bring your attention to a sound that spreads calm and peace through your whole body. Practicing meditation for a few minutes every day is highly effective in sharpening your focus and optimizing your mental capabilities.
- Keep The Bigger Picture In View
A simple technique that may be highly effective in maintaining your focus and preventing your from procrastinating is keeping the bigger picture in view. For instance, if you have been trusted with a large project, the first thing that you should do is [restrict] to divide your project into smaller components, each of which can be accomplished separately. Now think of the part of this project that you deem the most difficult. Start working on this part first. The point is that when the task in hand is a gigantic one, there is a greater tendency for the human mind to be overwhelmed. Once it is divided into components with only one part being under focus at a time, it is much easier for the brain to keep its calm and eventually, for you to keep your focus. Moreover, it is highly likely for your attention span to be the sharpest in the beginning. Therefore, taking up the hardest part in the start gives you an edge. Once you are done with it, your brain is better prepared and warmed up that makes it easier to accomplish the other tasks of the project with optimum focus.
- Remove As Many Distractions As You Can
Depending on when, where, and how do you work, there are always going to be distractions that you can’t get rid of. For instance, if you work in a cubicle, the disturbance of other people talking, someone asking for tea, and some colleagues having a political debate is inevitable. But on the other hand, there are a few distractions which are entirely in your power to get rid of. Talk about our best friend who never fails to stand by us, the “Internet”. And of course, how can you forget about a subsidiary of the best friend, the “Smartphone”. These are the examples of a few distractions that you can easily get rid of. Turning your phone off or on silent when you are working is a surefire way of enjoying better and sharper focus during the work hours. Do you sometimes find yourself completing a task in an hour that you thought will only take twenty minutes for you to accomplish? The reason is that you looked at your phone some hundred times and scrolled through some random stuff on the internet for a good twenty minutes. This is the root cause of all your procrastination.
- Plan For All Of It
A common mistake that most of us make while planning our day, and which is a major cause of procrastination and lack of focus, is planning for only the activities that are to be completed and not the schedule of when, where, and how will they be completed. The importance of planning ahead of the time cannot be overemphasized. Think about it, you are working diligently, you have your focus on the task, and all of a sudden, a bell rings inside your head and asks for some munchies. So you decide to get up from the table, go to the kitchen, get something to eat and immediately come back to work. But guess what? You broke your tempo. The enlightened productivity and laser-sharp creativity is now gone. This is a lesson in the importance of planning the schedule along with the activities. For everything from bathroom breaks to tea breaks, to snack break, to resting your eyes break, and what not, you should have a predetermined time in mind. Do you feel like having a cup of tea? Tough luck, you are not allowed to have one for another twenty minutes. Mastering this art of self-discipline will help a great deal in sharpening your focus, increasing your attention span, an eventually getting out of the ditch of laziness and procrastination.
Conclusion
Procrastination can be the evil that stands in your way to achieving your goals. It is the reason why you didn’t get your promotion this month, the reason why you can’t find an ideal job that you deserve, and consequently, it may as well boil down to the conclusion that it is indeed procrastination why you are currently struggling financially. You are very well aware of the pain, frustration, and stress associated with a lack of focus and over procrastination. But today is your day to make a promise to yourself that you will treat yourself better from now on. You will do everything in your power to master the art of keeping your focus in check and get rid of the killing habit of procrastination that is stopping you from making wonderful things happen to you in your life.
Rest assured, you are not alone in your journey. We are confident that you can do better and we are here to help you with a few simple tips that you can implement today at no cost, in an attempt to let your mind know “who’s the boss”. It is time to change your life and achieve what you were always meant to achieve. [/restrict]
