how to refocus when you feel distracted

Staying focused is one of the biggest challenges we face when working from home. It's tough enough to manage your own schedule and can be difficult to stay productive without others working around you. Creating a dedicated working area where you can get away from distractions is important.

When you do lose focus, however, it can go one of two ways. You may be able to refocus quickly (the goal) and stay productive, or it can spiral into procrastination. In this blog post I'll talk about 4 ways you can refocus your mind to stay productive.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

take a walk

A change of scenery is good to calm a busy mind, and taking a walk is great for mind and body. Taking a walk (without your phone) is also a great way to give your eyes a rest from staring at a computer. Whether you go around the block or walk around the house for a few minutes, removing yourself from your workspace will make it easier to focus and can even kickstart your creativity to overcome a writers block. No matter where or for how long you walk, it can help to boost your concentration.

try yoga

Yoga is a good way to quiet a busy mind and to center yourself, improving your concentration when you do sit back down to work. Even 5 minutes of yoga can help. Keep a yoga mat, like these from Kaya Hemp Company, in the corner of your workspace so that it's there when you feel your mind getting too busy. Pull up a quick online yoga video to follow and you'll notice a difference when you're done. 

make a to-do list

Ever feel tired all day and unmotivated, but as soon as your head hits the pillow everything you need to get done swarms around your brain? It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you have many tasks to accomplish, but making a to-do list can help you feel calmer and be more organized. Take 5 minutes before you start your day and write a to-do list and end your day by emptying your mind of the tasks you need to accomplish tomorrow. Having a notepad at your work desk and on your nightstand can be handy!

try the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique is an effective method to improve your concentration when you're working. You break your work down into sections and give it all your focus, then take a break. Avoid multi-tasking during your work sessions (usually 20-25 minutes) and then do mindless tasks or take a break during your 5 minute break. After 4 or 5 work sessions, take a longer break.