Quick ways to focus better, no introduction or anything like that, right into it because we both have things we want to grind.
1. Organize Your Notes
There’s a difference between organizing your notes and making your room bland when you hear “clean and organize”. Even if our notes look like a mess to other people, we usually actually know where everything is.
But the better organized your notes, the easier it is for your brain to find what it’s looking for – and that means more brainpower for what you’re focusing on and less chance of getting distracted by having to focus (subconsciously) on something.
2. Remove Subconscious Distractions
As said in the last part, the more your brain has to work (consciously or subconsciously), the less it’s working on what you want it to be focused on.
At all times your brain and subconscious are working, tuning out all the distractions and things going on around you.
Wear glasses? Your brain is constantly working to ignore the lenses and incorporate the vision as one, which is why when you first wear glasses you often get headaches.
Common Subconscious Distractions:
- Dirty Glasses
- Background Noise
- Lack of Lighting (Brighten Up Your Desk/Room and You Will See Big Focus Improvements)
- Uncomfortable Chair / Uncomfortable Chair Height (Too Soft A Cushion or Too Hard, Too High or Too Low, Imbalanced Cushioning From Sitting To One Side When Gaming, etc.)
- Too Many Tabs and Applications Open At Once (Bookmark Them And Focus One Window With Minimal Tabs At Once)
- Too Hot or Too Cold, Particularly Cold Feet From Being Barefoot At Home
- Bad Odour/Air Quality and/or Synthetic Scents (Cologne, etc.)
- Uncomfortable Headphones (Too Tight, Too Loud, etc.)
- Unorganized and/or Cluttered Room, Office, or Desk/Workspace
- Things That Remind You Of Stressors and Anxieties (Move Stuff That Takes Your Mind Out of Focus or Reminds You of Something You Don’t Want To Be Thinking About)
3. Improve Your Environment
Cluttered room? Cluttered mind. Once again building off of the previous, your environment is either working with you or against you.
Clean it and organize it for your subconscious and mind’s sake, but also organize it in a way that makes you feel calm and want to work.
Too Serious An Environment (Uncomfortable) or Too Restive An Environment (Too Comfortable) Can Make It Harder To Focus.
Find what works for you, you have an idea of the setup you want and I can tell you a clean and decluttered room/desk is a part of it.
4. Go For A Walk
Go for a walk to get your body moving to build momentum and give your mind a chance to relax and breathe.
Walking increases blood flow to the brain and slows it to relax, allowing it to recover and focus better.
You’ll likely find some good thoughts on what you’re working on before you get back.
5. Just Start
Just start writing or studying, working, whatever you’re doing – just start somewhere.
I’m writing this article right now even since I’m unable to focus and just started on something.
Just start to get your gears turning and that momentum building.
Cleaning, exercise (walking), and just starting are great ways to get going.
Just write some words, pull up an article on what pure studying and read the intro and write a note down about it.
It’s a lot easier than you think once you’ve done it once.
“To build that momentum you seek, simply push that boulder down a hill.”
6. Run Around In The Sun
Running and sunlight increase blood flow to the brain and calm your mind and improve cognition.
Go for a run down the street or in your backyard, a moderate pace to get your blood pumping without being too exhaustive.
Sunlight helps us produce vitamin d, which is also important for cognition and feeling calm.
7. Take A Nap
Lay down for a few minutes to rest your mind and recover from all the thinking and focusing you’ve been doing or trying to do.
15-20mins is good, set an alarm and allow your mind to calm and refocus.
8. Review What You’ve Done So Far
Refocus by going through what you’ve done.
Get your gears turning again by going through some easy and related like your notes.
9. Remember Why You’re Focusing
You’re focusing for a reason – remember that reason to get back on track.
Find that motivation and you focus, along with these other tips maybe.
10. Massage Your Temples, Head, and Neck For A Few Minutes
Massage yourself in circular motions slowly and gently for a few minutes, especially around the temples to relieve tension and relax the mind to focus again.
11. Do Push-Ups
Push-ups are another great exercise that improve focus by increasing blood flow to the brain among other things.
You can also do them almost anywhere.
It’s not about how many you do as a number, but how many you do relative to your ability. Don’t overdo it, a nice comfortable number that pushes you but still allows you to pump out another 3 sets over the next couple hours to help you regain focus without exhausting you.
12. Make Some New Notes and Outlines of What You Want To Do
Few things can get you as much momentum and motivation and focus as brainstorming and a bit of daydreaming of what you want to do.
Grab a piece of paper – it’s important that you write it out physically because there’s something much more satisfying and motivating about it – and write a list and some jot notes, the gears will start turning as you get back into what you’re doing.
Writing a note(s) on what you’re doing is great too – just start – and you will get somewhere.
13. Review The Basics
Classic. Related to Make Some New Notes and Just Start.
We all know the basics or some basics of what we’re doing that we can think of, say, and write down.
Simple way to get your gears turning.
What is it your doing? Ok and how can you do that? Then just do it.
14. Get A Small Win
Do something small easy (like previous) to get some dopamine and belief that you can do it.
Make your bed, wipe your desk, clean up some garbage, wash dishes, review the basics, write what you’ve done so far, etc etc.
It’s less about the dopamine and more about getting your mind to remember that you really can do it.
15. Read Some Things On How To Focus Better
Momentum and belief you can do it via reading this and other articles.
Build momentum and useful techniques you can use to focus better, and remind yourself that you can do it.
I couldn’t focus but decided to just start to build some momentum and ended up writing this whole thing while laying in bed lol.
Apex of Men 