Focus pocus
Why is focus such an unobtainable commodity?
You’re involved in a task and the more you need to focus on it, the less you are able to. Your brain is screaming to take a break, but you don’t feel you have put in enough time or haven’t “earned” that yet. In trying to push through, you end up wasting a bunch of time trying to convince yourself that you’ll pull out of this funk and be able to focus any minute now… No? That’s just me? Oh, ok.
Turns out I should just take a break. I know this.
It was my very first soiree into research. (I’m feeling all nostalgic about it now, but at the time, the idea of compiling a bunch of existing scientific information into one paper was not my idea of a good time.)
My Capstone project was a lengthy research paper on complimentary and alternative therapies for adolescents with ADHD. If you know anything at all about ADHD, you know that focus is a vapor to be chased by those who struggle with it.
I’m feeling foolish for not using what I already know. I looked up any new research about it since then (it has been a solid minute since I graduated.) Here’s my tip jar:
Breaks. Not because we deserve them, but because any constant stimuli will get filtered out by your brain. Know how you can’t smell your own perfume after a few minutes? Or how most of the time you don’t notice the sensation of clothing touching your body? Focus and attention works the same way. If you can walk away from it for a moment, you can come back fresh - in the way that leaving a room and returning will bring your scented candle back to your attention. Don’t try to multitask. Just take the break.
***Here is a link to another article about this study that I think is worth reading if you’re interested; or to increase your understanding.
Eliminate Distractions. Don’t be afraid to put headphones on. Are you on a call? In the middle of a podcast? Listening to screamo music? Who knows, but you are 100% unavailable for conversation right now. Some people start in with the pleasantries out of awkwardness. No need to participate. I find I’m more productive if I’m not facing a walkway. If I can see someone walking by every few moments, it’s going to pull my attention every time. (OH LOOK! A PEOPLE! OMG!!! - Covid has been hard for us extroverts.) You can put your phone on do not disturb to eliminate the remote distractions. If I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t get a single thing done. If you have an iPhone it’s pretty neat because it has a focus mode and tells the people trying to reach you that you’re in focus and it won’t be notifying you of their message quite yet.
Make a list. If I really can’t focus, I will take a blank sheet of paper and start writing down whatever thought comes to my mind. In about 10 minutes, the page is overflowing with thoughts and ideas, worries and goals, inspirations and reminders. Sometimes the thoughts just need somewhere to sit other than the lobby of my brain. When they’re out there, on the page, that lobby space is available to focus. After that, I get another paper and put them side-by-side. Which things do you want to focus on? Which things need my attention? My list ends up being linear - like a time line. That helps me break those things I want to happen into steps that feel doable.
You can do this.