How to Stay Focused and Productive at Work: 7 Success Tips
Discovering how to stay focused and productive at work is how to achieve effective time management and reduce stress, anxiety, and burnout. As someone living with ADHD, I’ve had to learn and train myself to stay on task by trying and implementing new methods of managing my time throughout the day. I’m happy to share what’s been effective.
How to Stay Focused and Productive at Work
It starts with acknowledging the need to strengthen these skills so you’re headed in the right direction. Following the tips outlined here will help you stay focused and productive at work. Remember, making changes takes the form of habit making. So stay encouraged and keep going, even when you have days that don’t go as planned.
1. Mute Distractions
Identify distractions in your work environment and remove them immediately. As a mother of two who works from home, I’ve successfully muted noise with a white noise machine or free brown or pink noise when studying videos on YouTube.
Undoubtedly, the biggest distraction is your phone. If you don’t put it away, you may be tempted to check social media, answer notifications, play games, or waste time in hundreds of other methods your phone allows. It’s a significant distraction and time waster.
Out of sight makes it easier to remain out of mind. If you’re unable to keep your phone in a drawer or separate room, it may be time to address the serious issue of phone addiction. Working from home also means leaving the TV off.
However, some people may be able to work more productively with music styles (without lyrics), including classical, nature sounds, and instrumental music like epic fantasy scores. The Twilight Saga and Marvel Scores are some of my personal favorites.
2. Prioritize Tasks
Prioritize your tasks in order of importance to ensure the essentials are tended to first. Things come up during the day, and there’s not always enough time to complete everything we set out to do.
It’s imperative to understand the more critical requirements of your role and execute them diligently while getting to the others when time permits.
3. Stop Multitasking
Multitasking means trying to perform two or more tasks concurrently, which is not an effective way to manage time. This is because it leads to repeatedly switching between tasks or leaving one task unfinished to do another. You’re not multitasking; you’re task-switching.
Our brains are not wired to complete multiple tasks at a time. To increase productivity, focus your energy and attention on one thing at a time.
4. Use Time Blocking
Time blocking is an effective method of managing time that involves organizing your day into blocks of time designated for specific tasks or groups of tasks. It’s a highly effective tool for people with ADHD.
Time blocking also reinforces that you don’t waste time trying to multitask or get distracted as easily. Block time increments for things like checking emails so that you’re not pulled away from them every time there is a notification.
5. Take Breaks
Remember to add breaks to your time blocks. They are an equally important part of your schedule and how you stay focused and productive at work all day.
As a writer who sometimes gets stuck, I find that when I walk away from my computer and complete a quick chore like washing dishes or folding a load of laundry, I’ll come back to my screen refreshed, and my words begin flowing naturally again.
6. Proper Nutrition and Exercise
Proper diet, nutrition, and exercise are necessary to improve everything in life, but people aren’t doing them. I’ve struggled with eating correctly, but I can attest that fruits and vegetables are the truth for feeling your best.
Juicing has been a game-changer in ensuring I consume fruits and veggies daily, and when I juice, I feel my overall best. Likewise, taking 10-15 minute exercise breaks throughout the day gives you a mental boost while increasing productivity and improving focus. Taking a walk outside is my favorite way to get fresh air and sunshine into my daily routine as well.
7. Declutter Workspaces
Clutter is chaos and disorganization, so keeping workspaces decluttered is vital for focus and productivity. While some people can thrive in cluttered environments, the majority may become anxious and stressed. Clutter can overwhelm you and cause you to shut down.
If you’re someone who clears messes only to be buried under them again immediately, time block a weekly time to declutter your space again. It can build up around you pretty quickly. This practice ensures that you’re not suffering clutter consequences
The Bottom Line
Creating these habits will help you stay focused and productive at work. It boils down to taking better care of yourself while creating a comfortable workspace free of distractions. Remember to give yourself grace when things don’t go ‘perfect,’ as they never do.
Elizabeth Ervin helps people embrace a change in money mindset to achieve their financial goals. After struggling for a decade as a single mother, consumed by the American debt cycle, she recognizes the value of financial education and lifestyle changes and aspires to motivate others to make those changes to obtain financial freedom. She heavily advocates for praying about and over your finances and speaking positive money affirmations to manifest abundance.
