How to Stay Focused

Focus and Meditation

The subject of focus, how to focus and how to remain focused is a hot topic. Educators bemoan the fact that their students cannot stay focused due to the multitude of distractions in todays fast paced world. Smart phones, social media, television, friends, the list of distractors is indeed immense. Whether you are a student trying to study for an important exam or a corporate executive trying to keep your company viable, the subject of focus comes up time and time again. Focus is what AddieUP is all about.

Research on the subject of focus indicates that meditation can be very helpful in building a brain that can sustain focus for longer periods of time. Meditation may seem too new age or esoteric for some people, but it's not that difficult to understand. One simply has to allow themselves 20 minutes or so of removing all distractions and consciously allowing your body and mind to completely relax. Clearing out all thoughts except for the goal of relaxing the mind and body is certainly easier said then done. Many of us simply don’t think they have the time to meditate. Even 5 or 10 minutes of quiet meditation is better than none at all. The practice of meditating can allow the brain to get stronger in a sense, so that when the need for focus arises, our brains are able to work more effectively by filtering out mind wandering thoughts.

Reading

Reading more can help with focus. When we read we have to stay focused on the words and subject being read. This is a kind of mental exercise that helps build focusing skills, especially over a period of time. If you're in need of interesting material, addieup.com has some interesting articles about nootropics and related subjects. Sometimes it is difficult to continue to read subjects that are not interesting to us. When we feel that we cannot stay focused on reading “boring” material, it can be time to do another great focusing tool, physical exercise. Cardiovascular exercise helps bring blood and oxygen flow to the brain, has been shown to reduce stress, and helps release endorphins in the brain which makes us feel better. Feeling alert and revitalized after a work out, walk or run is a great way to renew our efforts for good focus when we need it.

Avoid Multi-Tasking

Trying to multi-task can actually harm our ability to focus. Instant messaging with friends online while trying to work is particularly counter-productive. While it would seem that this would make difficult work more enjoyable, it slows down our ability to get work done efficiently. Since communication with others is a vital necessity, use blocks of time to respond to emails, text messages, and phone calls rather then letting them interfere with your focus. By structuring your day to allow for communicating with others, you essentially become both a better communicator and also be more efficient with your work time. Also, when you have many tasks to complete, it is best to get one tasks done at a time rather then trying to do several different things at once. By focusing on one tasks and working until the task is completed, you are not focused on many different things and you achieve better focus as a result of this concentrated effort. AddieUP can help give you this focus.

Having a distraction-free environment is important when trying to achieve focus. Probably the most distracting of all is people themselves, so schedule your day around the most important things that need to be done. Your work or study environment needs to be neat, organized and distraction free. Making a to-do list the night before and prioritizing the list with the most important tasks to be done first is essential. Many suggest a simple system of putting 6 important tasks that need to be done, in order of importance, right in front of you and staying focused on the list during the day. A sense of accomplishment is felt when tasks are checked off the list, and you can give yourself rewards during the day as tasks get accomplished. The nightly ritual of writing the 6 most important things to be done the next day before going to bed gives us a great head start on the next day. 

Stay Focused

Getting proper rest, eating well, and exercise programs can assist our brains and bodies in the goal of achieving better focus. When we get proper sleep, we are able to deal with the challenges of the day better. The challenges of staying focused are always going to be present. If we take simple steps to combat distraction, we can achieve better focus. Take the first step in achieving the focus you want and start taking AddieUP.