Developing razor sharp focus at workplace
Focus and attention are crucial skills in today's fast-paced work environment. With so many distractions and interruptions, it's essential to be able to concentrate on tasks and make the most of your time. In this article, we'll explore the theories of attention and focus in psychology and the neuroscience behind these skills. We will also discuss three areas which need your mastery so that you can dedicate your focus to the work at hand to the best of your abilities. Our goal is to help you develop razor sharp focus at the workplace and improve your overall productivity.Theories of Attention and Focus in PsychologyPsychologists have long studied attention and focus, and several theories have emerged over the years. One of the most influential theories is the concept of selective attention. This theory suggests that we can only focus on a limited amount of information at any given time, and we choose to attend to certain stimuli while ignoring others.Another important theory is the concept of divided attention. This refers to our ability to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. While we can multitask to a certain extent, our performance on each task is often compromised when we try to divide our attention too many ways.Finally, the theory of sustained attention highlights the importance of maintaining focus over an extended period of time. This is critical for tasks that require concentration, such as working on a complex project or reading a lengthy document.The Neuroscience Behind Focus and AttentionRecent advances in neuroscience have shed light on the biological mechanisms behind focus and attention. The brain has a network of interconnected regions that are responsible for controlling attention, including the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, and the thalamus. Research has shown that the prefrontal cortex, a region in the frontal lobe, is involved in regulating attention. This region sends signals to other parts of the brain, helping us focus on important tasks while ignoring distractions. The parietal lobe plays a key role in attention as well. This region helps us filter out irrelevant information, allowing us to focus on what's most important. It also helps us switch our attention from one task to another when necessary. Finally, the thalamus acts as a relay station, sending sensory information from the periphery of the brain to the cortex. The thalamus also helps regulate attention, ensuring that the brain receives the right amount of information at the right time.
Now, let us understand the development of attention and focus by categorising our priorities. First one being mastering the digital space, the second one is mastering the physical space and lastly mastering the mind.
Mastering the digital space
a. Turn notifications off and use your calendar.
Many people wonder if technology is distracting us, or if it is the cause of our inability to focus. In reality, it is our improper use of technology that is the problem, not technology itself. You receive notifications when a text message, an email, or someone wants to chat with you, your app, or even the game you're playing arrives. All of these notifications are constantly competing for your attention. The intention is to make you more productive, but in reality, it causes you to switch frequently and incur switching costs. Simply using your calendar to protect your digital focus is the solution. Turn off any and all notifications that you can. Instead, use only one tool, the calendar. Email, for example, is constantly reminding you, whether on your phone or on your desktop. Turn off these notifications on your phone and desktop, and make a regular appointment on your calendar to check them. This allows you to see all of your email while still focusing on it.
b. Time your activities.
Retention and development of focus need not be complicated, we can increase our focus with the help of a simple timer. We can set time limits for ourselves and take breaks appropriately. Setting a time limit for yourself allows you to dedicate complete attention to the task at hand because you have a plan in your head. We will discuss the pomodoro technique of time management which is one of the many time management techniques used by efficient productivists.
c. Create a digital-free zone.
Designate a spot as digital free zone and go there when you want to improve on your focus
Schedule hours or days of being away from technology
Avoid media multitasking (being on your phone while watching tv) this disrupts attention.
2. Mastering the physical space
a. Declutter your surroundings. This sounds fairly simple but what we tend to ignore usually is that unnecessary accessories around us, chip at our focus. When you are at office and see a stack of papers that you need to work on, this might pull your attention and remind you of all the other things that require your attention but you can minimise this by putting all these unnecessary things away from your line of sight, this does not mean that you need to get up and start cleaning or start
b. Declutter your surroundings.This sounds fairly simple but what we tend to ignore usually is that unnecessary accessories around us, chip at our focus. When you are at office and see a stack of papers that you need to work on, this might pull your attention and remind you of all the other things that require your attention but you can minimise this by putting all these unnecessary things away from your line of sight, this does not mean that you need to get up and start cleaning or start putting things back in their place, rather you can just put it away from you. One technique that you can use for decluttering your physical space could be to use a big box and store all these things which are not required in the moment to be put in it.
c. Establish your uniqueness at the place of your workspace.Decluttering is important but that does not mean sitting in a white blank room with no mementos of your own. It is important that we remind ourselves of what is good in our life and what is important, you can do this by putting a picture of your family or friends, something that you are proud of or as mary kondo says, something that sparks joy, like a little magnet that you got from your last vacation. Putting things which are meaningful to us can serve as a reminder of why our focus is important.
d. Invest in your tools.Computer, screens, chair, things you use daily like a good mouse, good internet connection. Replace things which trouble you and take away from your focus like a squeaky chair. Be a little bit picky. Because when you're picky about these things and swap them out for higher quality items, you can actually build your focus. Little changes add up to big improvements in your productivity.
3. Mastering the mind
a. Segregate your thoughts into categories.
At every moment, 1000s of thoughts might be rushing through our head, while this is great for creativity, it can all get jumbled up, leaving you with just thoughts and no work. You can try the activity of thought segregation. Wherein you need to fill out a sheet of yes, no and maybe to understand which thoughts you are harbouring and out of this which ones are important and which ones are not, this way you can filter your thoughts and subconsciously train yourselves to make a mental framework of what needs your attention right now.
b.Create a vision for yourself.
• Long term thing
• Helps with understanding oneself
• Seeing this vision on a daily and weekly basis will help you focus your thoughts on ideas that will help you get to the place you've imagined for yourself in five years. You might also want to make a weekly appointment with yourself to go over this vision. Creating a positive vision of the future will assist you in focusing on what is most important to you.
c. Manage your energy.
Manage your energy rather than your time. If a task requires your undivided attention, schedule it for a time of day when you have the energy to concentrate. For example, I've discovered that my creative energy is at its peak in the morning. That's when I'm at my best. That's when I'm at my most creative. That is when I make the best strategic decisions for my company. So, what should I do? I set aside time in the morning for creative tasks. In the afternoon, all other business tasks are completed. Interviewing, responding to emails, phone calls, and Skype chats, data analysis, and number crunching are all part of the job. Almost every productivity strategy focuses on better time management, but time is meaningless if you don't have the energy to do it.
d.Dedicate time for mind wandering
Paul Seli, a psychologist at Harvard University, has distinguished between deliberate and accidental mind wandering, and says that only the accidental kind is bad for getting stuff done. People who slot in their daydreaming when they know that it won’t matter – when doing mindless admin, for example, suffer less than those whose minds skip off without their say-so, says Seli.It can therefore be concluded that development and maintenance of attention and focus is not a herculean task, it requires paying attention to ourselves, our mind, our surroundings and what we are doing. Once you crack the code of your own self, it becomes easy to master this one crucial skill, destined for success.