In an effort to be more productive at work I’ve been looking at my focus and how I can improve it.
One of the big things that has helped me on this quest is meditating each morning. I use an app called Headspace which leads you through various types of mediation for a variety of things you might want to achieve. The pack on focus really helped me understand now focus works and that getting distracted is unavoidable but that it can be lessened.
Surprisingly the other thing that has helped my focus at work is having more breaks! An app call BreakTime runs on my Mac and tells me when I have been working at my computer for an hour. When it goes off I get up, walk to get a glass of water, make a cup of tea (my favourite kind of break), anything that isn’t sitting at my desk. It not only means that I remember to take a break every hour (which is very good for your back, posture and eyesight) it also means that in that hour at the computer I do nothing but work… no Facebook, no email, no web browsing, no distractions.
I’ve also turned off all the notifications on my iPhone which is hugely liberating. Rather than being a slave to the thing as it lights up and tells me I have a message I now choose when to respond.
Understanding my focus has had the unforeseen consequence of improving my memory. By having set times to do certain tasks my brain seems less overwhelmed and is therefore much more willing to remember!
As with any lifestyle change it’s all about repeating it until it becomes habit… watch this space.
Magic Beans VFX - Jack Hughes 