7 tips to help you stay focused

In our fast-paced world overwhelmed with information staying focused on a certain job, the task has become a greater challenge than ever. Being able to organize thoughts and concentrate on a single task is critically important for IT professionals because their job involves both creative and technical components. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but the following seven super-easy tips will help you to eliminate some factors that negatively impact your efficiency.

1. Minimize distractions

This is quite an obvious tip: your chances to be more productive are noticeably higher when there are no distractions around. If possible, keep your phone in the drawer or at least turn off push notifications that are not work-related, such as Viber, WhatsApp, or Twitter. Resist the temptation to check social media while working, and if you desperately want to do this probably your brain just needs a break.

2. Take short breaks

The human brain can stay focused for up to two hours. So it is recommended to take short breaks after every 60-90 minutes of concentrated work. Giving your mind a chance to recover helps to work with higher efficiency and gives a fresh perspective on a task you are currently working on.

3. Set priorities

Prioritize tasks in your backlog. This will help you to see a bigger picture rather than being overwhelmed and lost. Ranking your tasks can be done in any convenient way – from making notes in the notepad to using tasks management tools, like Jira, Trello, Asana, and others that allow setting the level of urgency to each task.

4. Organize your workspace

The surrounding makes a great impact on how well our brain performs. Organizing your workstation and keeping it tidy helps to minimize distractions and stay focused. If possible, try to avoid a noisy environment and eliminate chances to be interrupted by colleagues or family members.

5. Pay attention to physical activity

Physical exercises stimulate your brain and help to refresh it. Regular physical activity improves memory capacity, mental health, and an overall ability to focus on tasks. So when you need a brain boost don’t rush to the coffee point, try a brisk walk outside instead.

6. Don’t forget about good night’s sleep

Underestimating the importance of quality night-time sleep is a big mistake that negatively impacts not only your productivity but an overall state of health. Try to sleep at least eight hours to be in your best physical and mental condition.

7. Avoid multitasking

Multitasking is rather a dangerous myth rather an example to follow. To get the best result you should focus your attention at one task, switching to another one after the previous has been completed. This will increase your quality of work.

Staying focused is not the easiest task, however, these simple tips hopefully will help you to improve your ability to concentrate. Distractions are bound to arise and elaborating your personal effective tactic of dealing with them is an essential component of avoiding stress and enjoying your workflow.