No professional lives solely at the office. Everyone has personal responsibilities and challenges, and issues outside of the workplace can make it difficult to focus when you clock in for your shift. However, when you aren’t fully present, the quality of your work suffers, and your level of productivity falls.
Learning how to quiet your mind and concentrate on the task at hand is critical if you want to be successful in your career. While it can be difficult, it is possible to be fully present even if your mind is elsewhere. Here’s how to get started.
Set Goals
Sometimes, a little concrete direction can make focusing easier. While you are work, create a list of goals for the day and use them to keep you on target.
The objectives don’t have to be momentous to be effective. For example, you could make one task “answer your email” and another “submit the weekly report.” The gravity of the duties isn’t as important as announcing them as goals as, once you get them on your list, you have something to make you accountable, making it easier to concentrate on what you need to accomplish.
Eliminate Distractions
While technology is incredibly helpful in the workplace, it can also be very distracting. Notifications and alerts steer your attention away from your work, and it takes a moment to refocus.
Instead of letting these distractions derail you, eliminate them. For instance, silence your email, text, and social media notifications and disable the pop-ups. Set your phone to silent or create a custom “do not disturb” setting to eliminate everything but the most critical incoming calls.
By disconnecting, even a little, you make it easier to be fully present, giving you the ability to get more done and keep your mind on your work.
Use Sprints
If you can’t seem to stay on task for long stretches of time, give yourself permission to breakaway at regular intervals by scheduling sprints. For example, set a timer for 20 minutes and, while the clock is ticking down, completely focus on one specific assignment. When the alarm sounds, allow yourself to stop what you are doing and take a breather for a few minutes. Then, set the alarm again and dig back into the work.
This approach can be particularly effective for heads-down duties that require a lot of focus and tend to be draining. Not only can it limit multitasking, something that can be the enemy of detail-oriented work, it also gives you a pace to follow that keeps you moving forward. Plus, when the alarm goes off, you don’t have to feel guilty for relinquishing your focus for a little bit, as you were diligent during that previous 20 minutes.
By using the techniques above, you can be more present at work, even if your mind is elsewhere. If you would like to learn more about how you can improve your workplace productivity, the professionals at CPS Recruitment can help. Contact us to speak with one of our experienced team members today and see how our workplace productivity expertise can benefit you. If you’re looking for a new CNY job, click here.