Being able to concentrate at work will increase productivity and also ensure you feel better in the workplace. So, how do you increase concentration – here are some tips.
Learn To Switch Your Concentration On And Off
When you’re at your office you should turn off your mobile phone so that you can concentrate better on the work at hand. The use of office phones can allow you to receive your business calls and eliminates the distractions of other messages that may come in on the mobile phone. A journal called the Neuroscience and Behavioral Review found that those who remove distractions stimulated the part of the brain known as the hippocampus. This area of the brain helps the individual to have laser focus. Distractions such as Facebook messages, Twitter, and general gossip should be put off until the end of the workday.
Change How You Look At Things
In the modern age cell phones are often the greatest distraction but next to that, emails are similarly damaging to your concentration. The Loughborough University in the UK reported that the average office worker in the UK will check their email over 36 times an hour and that significantly reduces overall productivity. Some ideas for reducing these distractions is to turn off your screen notifications and add at the bottom of emails a notation that says, ‘no response is necessary’.
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals At The Office
Goals that are specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and bound by time, will significantly improve performance. You should write down your goals and make a note of the most important activities you want to accomplish for the day. It shouldn’t be necessary to have a boss that is overbearing to set your deadline for you. Each day you should set a goal to meet the most difficult tasks by lunch which is when concentration is at its greatest.
Take A Timeout
You can use something called the Pomodoro technique to help you become a time management master. Some ideas can include spending 25 minutes totally focused on your work and then taking 5 minutes to rest. Every couple of hours you can extend your break to 15 minutes. Instead of snacking you can use your break time to stretch or to take a walk around the office.
Getting Enough Sleep
With access to things like Netflix and Hulu, many people will start watching their favorite TV series and find that they choose to stay up to watch one more episode when they would have otherwise gone to bed. When you lack enough sleep you will lack concentration. In one published report it was found that for every hour of sleep you missed, it can result in as much as 20% loss of concentration. The average person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
A quality bed will help with this and even more importantly a better mattress. We’ve heard a lot of good things about Tulo mattresses. This could be a good start to get a better night’s rest.
Your Mind Is A Muscle That Needs To Be Exercised
Working out during your lunch break is not just about getting a beach body. According to a study done by Harvard Medical School putting in 30 minutes of medium intensity exercising several days a week helps to release a brain chemical that produces something known as the neurotrophic factor. This helps you to concentrate better and gives a sense of well-being throughout the day. The beach body it’s just a side effect that you will welcome.
Go Outdoors
Many modern offices get stuffy at times and it helps your brain and your body to get a little fresh air. It also helps to add some greenery to your desk as this helps create cleaner air. Some studies suggest that spending a few minutes outdoors and having green plants on your desk help to increase overall productivity by well over 35%.
Think Isotonic Not Caffeine
Many office workers choose to get a cup of their favorite coffee in the mid-afternoon for a boost but a better choice would be an isotonic drink. A researcher at one University found that a small dose of glucose helps the brains overall performance and increases motivation.
