Want to Stay Focused? 5 Tips to Improve Concentration at Work

How often have you struggled to concentrate on work only to realize that your mind is off thinking of something else, even though you’re doing your best not to?

It happens to all of us, and it’s annoying–especially when you have to accomplish an urgent assignment.

We spend most of our time switching between our mobile phones and computers, receiving an endless stream of messages from emails and need to look for information to help us do our daily tasks, too–and it sometimes can impact our productivity, focus and concentration.

Find out more about focus and concentration as well as why you’re having trouble concentrating, tips and incorporating the RENPHO Rhythm Eye Massager into your meditation sessions! 

Focus and Concentration

Concentration means controlling your focus. It is the mind’s ability to focus on one thing at a time, not allowing any distractions. When we concentrate, we exclude everything else from our minds but one thing at a time.

Focus occurs when we choose to prioritize one task and set aside every other assignment on our to-do list. In other words, focus requires elimination. Although choosing one option doesn’t mean you don’t have to do the other tasks.

Contrary to focus, there is more than one way to choose whether to pay attention, and there could be different concentration and energy levels. On the other hand, the focus is a key component of will. So, a person has a little bit more control over their ability to concentrate.

Concentration Issues and What to Do About It

Here are some common causes of your inability to focus and what you can do to help it improve:

You’re often interrupted by the constant flow of information or a busy environment

We are surrounded by distractions since we live in a technologically advanced era, which makes it harder for us to focus. Social media, mobile gadgets and simply a lot of screens have been introduced into our lives by technology, distracting us from the things that are actually important.

Research shows that the mere sight of our smartphone causes our capacity to focus to get compromised as our brains are so wired for this distraction. We continually evaluate the information to determine if it is necessary, sufficient or meaningless.

What you can do: Prioritize your tasks and keep your phone away.

To finish what you need to do should be your top priority. Desk organizers, noise-canceling headphones and adjustable lighting can benefit you if you are unable to have a well-appointed workplace. Make your area as comfortable and pleasant as you can and keep clutter out of sight.

Make it a habit to block out time in your calendar to complete a certain activity. Ask to be left alone or move to a space where others are less likely to bother you.

Additionally, close your social media and other apps and keep your phone’s notifications on silent in your drawer or bag. Researchers discovered that having the phone out of sight–as opposed to just being switched off–significantly improved cognitive function and performance.

You don’t have enough sleep.

Lack of sleep has been linked to decreased alertness, poorer concentration and slower mental effort and process, according to studies. Your capacity to carry out tasks, particularly those that require reasoning or logic, may be negatively impacted. Your focus and memory are further affected by chronically bad sleep.

What you can do: Plan out a sleep schedule.

Your ability to sleep is influenced by many factors such as checking your phone or watching your favorite TV show right before bed.

According to research, these gadgets generate light that is more toward the blue end of the spectrum. Such light will activate your retina and stop melatonin from being secreted, which increases the brain’s expectation of sleep. To reduce this blue light, wear “blue light” glasses or a filter, or stay away from any electronics an hour or two before bed.

A consistent bedtime routine and schedule, avoiding exertion in the afternoon, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, journaling or deep breaths to calm the mind are all additional approaches to improve sleep.

You aren't physically active enough

Your muscles tighten up if you don’t engage in any physical activity. Your neck, shoulder and chest could feel stiff, and such a continuous, mild discomfort that also affects your ability to focus.

What you can do: Sneak in a little exercise after waking up.

A simple exercise in the morning will start your body moving. Regular exercise produces chemicals important for memory, focus and mental clarity. Exercise can increase the energy levels of the brain chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, all of which have an impact on attention and focus.

Comparing people with good physical health to those with poor physical health, cognitive tasks are performed better by people who engage in some type of exercise or sports. Exercise helps the body’s muscles loosen up and reduce stress. Since the body and mind are intertwined, when one is feeling better, the other will as well.

You have too many tasks at hand

Even though multitasking might be challenging, it can also become a habit. Our brains are adaptive. It isn’t always negative, multitasking can undermine productivity. Your focus being worn thin is a clear indication that you have too many things going on at once.

What you can do: Set an alarm for every task.

Write down your goals for the day, ideally the night before. By completing the important tasks first and delegating the lesser ones for later, you’ll be able to concentrate your mind on what really counts. Achieving tiny daily goals helps rewire your brain function to achieve success while identifying your genuine priorities can help lessen distracting anxiety.

Use a timer or a phone alarm to train your brain to hyperfocus on a single task. Choose the assignment you want to finish first. Focus on the task at hand for the allotted 20 minutes (usually no longer than 30). When the alarm goes, off, take a 5-minute rest.

Alternatively, go for a stroll and some stretching exercises before starting over with a new timer. Using this strategy would help you focus better.

You’re stressed that you cannot think clearly

You may have seen that brief stress, such as meeting a deadline, might improve focus. But maintaining this speed is impossible.

Stress has a negative impact on the health and functioning of your brain over time, which causes problems with judgment, memory and attention span. Chronicle stress causes subtle brain damage and speeds up the aging process and results in a demonstrably smaller brain.

What you can do: Switch up your routine and practice meditation.

Even though we might wish to focus on a specific job, there are instances when we become stuck and need something else to dwell on. Try switching to something else, preferably something you enjoy doing. You can maintain your focus and productivity for a longer amount of time by switching projects.

Meditation is one of the best methods for sharpening undivided attention and lowering stress. Your brain enters the alpha brainwave state during meditation, which improves attention and concentration skills, stimulates creativity and brings on a profound level of relaxation.

Meditating or engaging in mindfulness exercises can enhance your well-being and mental health and improve focus. Our entire body relaxes and our brain becomes calmer during the meditation process. To avoid getting sidetracked by our thoughts during the process, we concentrate on our breath.

Get in tune with your mindfulness with the help of the RENPHO Rhythm Eye Massager. It supports relaxation while massaging your eye area which helps to calm your mind and other worries you may feel.

What the RENPHO Rhythm Eye Massager Offers

The RENPHO Eye Massager apart from having beneficial effects can also help reduce your stress. Overall gives you a very soothing and comforting experience.

A Variety of Rhythmic Massages

The RENPHO Rhythm Eye Massager features 5 massage modes and 16 vibration nodes that adapt 360° rotating and pressing technology, vibrating in different sequences. These vibration massage nodes also vibrate with the rhythm of the music you play to provide greater relaxation.

Vision Windows & Convenient Design

With vision mesh and one-button operation to relax the eyes while more comfortably enjoying entertainment. The head strap can be easily adjusted to fit all teenagers and adults. In addition, our engineers redefined the eye machine and reduced its weight by 30%, so you can easily take the eye massage mask ​to the office, on an airplane, or while traveling.

Voice Broadcast

The built-in speaker supports voice broadcast. It’s easy to operate and pre-recorded soothing music can enhance the sense of eye relaxation. You can even play your own playlists via Bluetooth to help improve mood and promote sleep.

It takes time to develop your concentration

It’s not something you can do overnight. Understanding how your concentration is influencing your life is the first step in improving it.

It’s time to obtain assistance with concentration so that you can concentrate on what matters most to you if you are having trouble keeping commitments, getting distracted by unimportant things all the time, or not making progress toward your goals.

Make sure to check out the RENPHO Rhythm Eye Massager here!