Why it's hard to focus and what to do about it

Corné Swart

The truth is, nobody is completely attentive to their work 100% of the time - and we can all use some guidance on ways to ignore disruptions in the office...I struggle big time to cope with this.

However by making subtle changes every day, I have noticed great changes in my productivity which automatically leads to success. At work, just as in life, distractions are par for the course. The key point is how well you manage them.

So how can we address this?

Limit technology interruptions

One of the most effective distraction-management techniques is switch off all communication devices during any thinking work. Try and limit your social media to your lunch time and outside of the office. There is no 'trick' to this; you simply must switch things off at work, or you won't focus.

Break the procrastination habit

You need to fight the habit that you have built up over the years, to let your mind tell you it is okay to do it later. Sometimes we complain that we are distracted but in actual fact we are just procrastinating. Make sure you know the difference.

Time is limited, use it wisely

We all know how time is limited during a working day, and being distracted and not focused makes the limited time you have even less. The thing all of us get taught is to plan your day, yet most of us fail at this. We all pitch up for work with no plan in place and with no plan it's easy to let old habits get the better of you. "A vision without a plan, is just wishful thinking".

Do not let personal problems or issues affect your work

Easier said than done, however problems and issues in your personal life can bring you down in more ways than you think, not only would it affect your work, but also your colleagues around you, as you can negatively affect them when you not having a great day trying to deal with your problems. It can also take all your working time away from you trying to sort things out. You will need to really pay attention because we tend to think about problems all day unintentionally. Keep you problems for after work.

Find Motivation

Only positive talk, needless to say, it is incredibly difficult to remain motivated when you keep hearing about the negatives of the workplace. There is good and bad in every office. It's up to you to decide your fate; your positive thinking will get you where you want to be.