5 Tips for Staying Focused at Work

Ever had a moment where you've been happily doing your work, and then all of the sudden heard a noise that started you thinking about race cars? Before long, you find yourself wondering if a pegasus would beat a jackalope in a footrace if they were each allowed to wear moon boots. Weird right? But it totally happens. If you're one of the many people this sort of thing happens to when you're at work, don't worry, you're not alone. Sometimes work can be a festival of distractions, and it isn't always easy to stay focused. That's why we're here to give you some insightful tips that will help you do just that!

Eat Right

Eating the right stuff at the right time is integral to staying focused at work. All mammals are programmed to hunt down a food source when their tummies start rumbling, and humans are no different. Make sure you have a healthy, nutritious breakfast prepared that will jumpstart your focus in the morning. Things like eggs, oatmeal, whole grains, walnuts, milk, and yogurt (particularly greek) are key foods to help you focus. Each one is loaded with proteins that helps your neurotransmitters to fire in the brain so you focus more. Also, remember to eat around five small, healthy meals throughout the day rather than the big three meals people are constantly used to. The five tiny meals will keep your metabolism constantly running. They can even help you lose some weight and stay healthy! As the Frosted Mini Wheats company slogan states, "If it keeps you full, it keeps you focused!"

Get Organized

If you're having a hard time staying focused at work, it could be because you're having to dig a tunnel through a mountain of mess just to reach your computer screen. If this sounds like you, the best advice we can give you is to get organized. While cleanliness is all well and good, organization is what really helps unfocused individuals the most. When you know where to find everything, you don't have to search (and you usually don't end up finding things like your high school yearbook or a diary from fifth grade that you have to look through right then). Having a clean, organized workspace also has a positive effect on most peoples' brains as well, making them want to focus better. The best part is, if they want to, they usually do!

Minimize Distractions

Anyone who works around technology knows how tough this one can be, but if you don't have the willpower to say no to Facebook, Youtube, or whatever else distracts you, it must be remedied. Bite the bullet and turn off notifications from these sites. If you must, block them from your browser, delete them from the tabs at the top of your screen, and toss them from your bookmark page. If iPad games are your issue, set up the child lock feature on your device so that it doesn't let you play those games at certain times. Force yourself to turn your phone off, or if you simply cannot, turn off all notifications (including sports and games, sorry). Sounds distracting you? Try noise-cancelling headphones without music. If you can still hear through them and still find yourself distracted, put a bit of unintrusive music on the lowest volume. Instrumental songs that you don't know are best for this, since you won't be tempted to sing along or listen for lyrics.

Stay Comfortable

One hugely common problem in the workplace is staying comfortable, which can indeed be very distracting. When people can't find a comfortable position to work in, they can easily be plagued by pains that take their focus away from work. If you notice yourself with back pain, it could be that you're leaning over you office desk in order to type or see your computer screen. General discomfort can easily be solved if office chairs with ergonomics are added to the workplace. In fact, anything labeled as "ergonomic furniture" can almost assuredly improve the productivity, efficiency, and work ethic of a business environment with smart design and ease of comfort. Choosing ergonomic workstations with modern design to replace traditional office furniture not only makes things more comfortable, it improves the health and function of the whole business. Just one less thing to steal your focus!

Love What You Do

Perhaps the easiest way to stay focused on your work is to love what you do. When people don't love their jobs, easy distraction is the body's way of telling them so. Over time, those who are forcing themselves to work in fields they don't enjoy can become depressed, only exacerbating their unfocused habits. If you think you really need to, go out and find another job that you know you will enjoy much more than sitting in affordable cubicles for office purposes. However, if you think that you might be able to really enjoy your job if you weren't so easily distracted, work it out. Ask your boss if you can learn new things to change up your routine. Having a to do list is a good way to stay focused, but if its the repetitive routine that's distracting you, switch things up and do things out of the usual order if you can. A life surrounded by top desks for computer use and fancy office accessories can certainly be distracting, but if you love what you do, you'll love to do it, and that is the best focus of them all!