How to Improve Concentration at Work

How to Improve Concentration at Work

Improving concentration at work has notable positives and can really help you get more done, easily. So, here are some tips on how to improve yours.

 

Switch Off to Switch On

 

Your workplace needs to have a policy when it comes to mobile use. If your office has a phone system, there should be no need for constant mobile use. Many companies adopt a policy that phones should be out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind. According to the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, the brain’s hippocampus makes it easier to maintain focus, when a person is able to work without distraction. After work everyone can use their phone as they wish, to transfer gossip, look for the latest cat memes and tweet to their heart’s delight.

 

Change Your Outlook

 

Email is another great concentration buster. The average UK office worker checks their email accounts 36 times per hour, according to Longborough University. Productivity is lost while employees shift through Viagra ads and spam. One way you can help is by using techniques that reduce a person’s need to check their inbox. You can add NRN to the end of a message so that the recipient know there is “no response necessary”. You can also turn off email notifications. Show office staff how to organize and manage their inbox, which will help to boost productivity and reduce stress levels.

 

Get Office SMART

 

How often do you sit down at 9am with no idea of what you should be doing that day? That’s how many office workers start their day, which can be demotivating even to the most dedicated employee. According to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, you should start your day by writing down your goals, which should be SMART (specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic and time-bound). You don’t need a dictatorial manager to set your deadlines. Try to hit your hardest tasks first thing in the morning, because that’s when your concentration levels are at its highest.

 

Call a Time Out

 

You can become a master of time management by using the Pomodoro techniques. After you have your daily goals set, you can use this method to plan out your day. You spend 25 minutes working before taking 5-minute breaks. After every 2-hour work cycle, extend the break to 15 minutes. The Pomodoro technique can help keep your brain from getting bogged down and can help you focus on one thing at a time. During your breaks, instead of snacking on a Kit Kat, while not stretch your legs by doing a lap around the office, or relax by taking 10 deep breaths.

 

Exercise Your Mind

 

You can do more than just eat during your lunch hour. A lunchtime workout can help boost your brain power and help you prep your physique for your next summer holiday. According to Harvard Medical School, you only need 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 5 days per week in order to get these brain benefits. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a chemical released during exercise which can help you concentrate. So, your workout will not only improve your body but also your mind.

 

Go Green

 

Many offices are stuffy closed-in spaces. You can brighten up the office, by bringing the outdoors inside. Add some focus-friendly foliage to your desk space. According to the University of Exeter, the extra oxygen provided by a plant can help increase your productivity by 38 percent. Adding a plant to your workspace can help your brain run better, using clean a clean source of energy.

 

Swap Your Extra Shot

 

Do you normally have a mid-afternoon coffee to ramp up your brainpower after lunch? Well, you might be better off if you traded your java for an isotonic drink. The small amount of glucose in these drinks can help to increase your brain performance and memory by 50 percent, according to Lancaster University researchers. You get to eliminate afternoon coffee breath and still get that brain boost you need to finish out your day. Here are some herbs that also improve focus.

 

Call It a Night

 

If you like to get in “one more episode” on Netflix, then you’re probably not going to sleep on time. Lack of sleep can cause your attention span to suffer. For every hour you lose in sleep, it increases the chances of you procrastinating, slacking off or spending endless hours scrolling through Instagram by 20 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Make sure you get your eight hours of sleep, in order to give your brain, the rest it needs to be productive.