How to Stay Focused: 12 Tips to Get Sh*t Done!
Let’s be real. Focusing is hard. Between social media, texts, and emails, it’s hard to set aside time to get down to business and work. Unfortunately, knowing how to focus is the very thing that you need to succeed as a freelance writer.
The good news? If you learn how to focus, you’ll have a superpower. You’ll have a huge leg up on the competition, and there won’t be anything you won’t be able to do!
So today we’re talking about how to stay focused! Keep reading to learn my tips on how to stay focused.
WHY CAN’T I STAY FOCUSED?
Not to toot my own horn, but I am great at focusing. I can write a blog post in less than an hour. I can sit down and crank out $800 worth of work in one day.
But I wasn’t always this way. Back when I worked in a traditional office environment, my employers warned me about my lack of focus. My bosses and coworkers said I was too chatty, and I spent more time surfing the internet than working.
And you know what? They weren’t wrong! Back then, I was terrible at focusing. I was that person with 37 tabs open in their browser. I was that person that was typing a report while messaging my best friend from college. I had zero focus, and it showed in my work. And the funny thing is, I could never understand why I wasn’t promoted!
It wasn’t until I read Deep Work by Cal Newport that I realized my lack of focus was hurting my career. I knew that I wanted to make freelance writing happen for real, I needed to learn how to focus. And learn I did.
Lack of focus can be a hinderance on your wellbeing and your work, but there are things you can do to help!
If you struggle to focus, it’s nottotallyyour fault.All those little notifications from our emails and apps release dopamine, a pleasure chemical in our brains. And that shit is addictive! It’s no wonder we want to check our phones over and over again.
A lot of people are also finding themselves working from home for the first time. It’s so tempting to take care of your personal responsibilities when you’re supposed to be working. How can you focus on client work when you need to finish folding the laundry?
And some people have ADHD, which means their brain works in a different way. If you have ADHD, your brain produces less dopamine and norepinephrine. This lowers your attention levels. (If you think you have ADHD, go to talk to a doctor. I’m not a medical professional, so your doctor will have way better advice on how to deal with ADHD.)
But a lot of people self-diagnose themselves with ADHD when they have poor focus habits. Don’t be a victim! You’re responsible for developing your focus muscle. Keep reading to learn how to do it.
12 TIPS ON HOW TO STAY FOCUSED
Here’s the good news: with regular training, you can strengthen your focus. Choose one or more of these tips, and stick with them for at least a week to see if they help. If it doesn’t work, move onto something else! Everyone’s brain is different.
Develop a Solid Morning Practice
Your morning sets the tone for your entire day. So if you start the day by scrolling, you’re going to carry that distracted feeling around with you all day.
That’s why it’s so important to come up with a solid morning practice.
Most experts recommend some combination of mediation, exercise, journaling, or reading in the AM.
It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it helps you to feel clear and focused once you get to work.
This is what my morning routine looks like, for reference:
Drink coffee while reading an inspirational book. Sometimes I also write in my diary. I’ve also started using a light therapy lamp during this time, and it’s helping with my mood.
I exercise for one hour, usually a combination of riding a stationary bike, dance, and yoga.
I meditate for 5-10 minutes. I usually follow a guided meditation on Youtube.
Eat breakfast.
Take a shower and get dressed while listening to confidence jams.
As I said, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it works for you. Experiment and find a routine that allows you to start your workday feeling focused.
Create a Writing Routine
You’ve heard of Pavlov’s dogs, right? If you haven’t, Ivan Pavlov was a scientist who studied behavioral psychology. His famous experiment demonstrated the powerful effect external stimuli can have on your body. In the experiment, Pavlov rang a bell every time he fed his dogs. After a while, the sound of the bell made the dogs salivate in preparation for their dinner – even if there was no food!
Long story short, you can use this behavioral hack to get your brain in the mood for focusing.
All you need to do is create the same set of circumstances every time you sit down to work.
For example, I always like to begin a work session with a cup of tea.
I’ve worked while drinking tea so often that brewing a couple of tea signals to my brain that it’s WORK time.
You can do the same thing too! If tea isn’t your thing, try chewing peppermint gum or sipping lemon water. Whatever works for you! But make sure you do it every time you sit down to focus.
Set Up a Dedicated Workspace
Sitting down at a dedicated workspace will also help signal to your brain that it’s work time. A small office with a door is ideal! But most people can’t do that, and that’s fine.
All you need is a small table, a comfy chair, and a way to block outside noise (like earplugs or noise-canceling headphones).
You don’t need anything fancy! My desk is an old vanity table, and my chair is a hand-me-down from my dad. Great things can come from humble beginnings!
Looking out of my window at the snow is making me real jealous o this work-from-home setup.
Capture Racing Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but I often get ideas for work projects and strategies while I’m doing other things. I don’t want to forget them, so they kind of niggle at my focus forever. These things keep me up at night!
My advice is to keep a notebook or even a note in your phone to park all these ideas. Get the crazies out and onto a piece of paper!
Then schedule a weekly task in Asana to move all these tasks and ideas to your master task and project list.
Prioritize & Shorten Your To-Do List
If you’re anything like me, your to-do list is completely out of control. Right now I have 14 overdue items on my to-do list in Asana. But you know what? It’s fine.
I know what my priorities are. My number one priority is meeting the deadlines of my scheduled client projects. If I have a deadline for a client project, I must finish it before I do anything else that day. My number two priority is creating content for my coaching business. Everything else comes after those two priorities.
So, at the end of each workday, I pull the tasks for my top two priorities out of Asana and write them down in my planner. I try not to have more than 5 tasks on my written to-do list.
Then, if I complete those, I can refer to my Asana to-do list and do as many tasks as my workday allows.
I use Asana as my bank for my tasks to keep my head clear, but my planner keeps me focused on what is most important.
And you can do the same thing! Get yourself a planner (I like this one) and make it a habit to plan out your top priority tasks for each day.
Schedule Out Task-y Time
But I can hear you now! “I have to complete all my tasks! I can’t prioritize!”
First of all, yes, you can prioritize. Choose which tasks and projects will make the biggest difference to your bottom line. Then do those first.
Next, block out time on your calendar to do little task-y things. You know, like send client proposals and invoices. I try to block out at least two hours every week to get caught up on stupid little stuff like that. I hate doing it, but it needs to be done!
I usually do task-y stuff at the end of the day once I’ve worn out my focus. Then I put on Megan Thee Stallion and I MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Listen to Focus Tunes
Speaking of Megan Thee Stallion, another thing that helps me to focus is listening to music.
I would probably say this is my number one strategy for getting stuff done.
I don’t know about you, but my mind is a whirlpool of earworms and other distractions. Like, I’ll be trying to write a blog post, and all of a sudden my brain starts singing, “ZIPPITY DOO-DAH!” The only way I can get my stupid brain to shut up is by listening to music.
And it can’t be any type of music. Sometimes I can listen to whatever I want, but for the most part, I listen to focus playlists. Spotify has a ton of them (click “Browse” then “Focus”). But my absolute favorite focus playlist is “Mallsoft Collection”. Mallsoft sounds like drowning in a fountain in a shopping mall in the 80s. And I can’t explain why, but it zones me out and allows me to work without any distractions. I recommend it!
Pick your playlist and hit play. Then sit back and get to work!
Set a Timer
When I’m struggling to focus, I bust out my timer technique. I set a timer for 45 minutes, and I tell myself that I must work during those 45 minutes. No excuses! After all, you can do anything for 45 minutes. Then, when 45 minutes are up, I set another timer for 15 minutes and take a break.
That way I get back to work in a reasonable time instead of cruising Tik Tok or reorganizing my underwear drawer.
It’s not a fancy tip, but it works great.
Follow Your Flow
I find that sometimes I have a ton of energy. I’m super focused, and I can get a ton of work done. Other times I can’t even concentrate on brewing a cup of tea.
When I can’t concentrate, I take a break. If I don’t have a deadline, I’ll take the rest of the day off, or I’ll switch to easier tasks.
And if I’m feeling energetic and focused, I make the most of it! I try to ride the wave and squeeze in as much work as I can.
Don’t feel guilty if your natural focus flow doesn’t follow a traditional 9-5 schedule. Tune into your brain. If you work better at night, work at night! You’re a freelancer! You make the rules. On the flip side, take a rest when you need it (even if it’s at 2:00 on a Tuesday).
If you have periods, tracking your hormonal cycles is another way to get a handle on your focus. I am usually a wreck during the first two days of my cycle. So, I plan to take those days off every month. Ain’t no shame in it! If you rest when you need to, you’ll have more energy when your focus returns.
Get Enough Sleep
Besides smartphones, lack of sleep is the biggest concentration killer. According to this study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, sleep deprivation can have a major impact on your cognitive functions. Translation? Not sleeping enough makes you less smart.
Everybody is different, so you’ll need to experiment and find how much sleep you need. I know some people who can get away with 6 hours, but I need 8 or more!
Avoid the News
You don’t need to check the news all the time. You don’t need to read the news every day. You don’t need to read the news ever. Because – barring a natural disaster in your city – it’s very rare that what is going on in the world at large will affect your everyday life.
News media is designed to be sensational, and that’s why it’s so negative all the time. All that negativity can drain your energy, so you’re better off without it. Don’t fall for the man’s tricks!
Delete the news app off of your phone and stop watching CNN or Fox News or whatever. Get off of Facebook. Stay in your lane, stay focused, and you’ll be fine.
Trust me, if something important happens, you’ll hear about it.
Whole Ass One Thing
My last piece of advice is to stop multitasking. Don’t try to do your accounting while texting your best friend. Multitasking splits your focus into little pieces, which means you’ll need more time to complete your tasks. It’s a bad habit. Try to do one thing at a time instead of half-assing several things, and you’ll get a lot more done.
Well, those are all my tips on how to focus! And believe me, I’m using them right now to get this post done.
If you want more advice on how to do the work of freelance writing, check out my freelance business course!
I have a whole module dedicated to getting your head right to set yourself up for success.
Do you have any tips on how to focus that I didn’t cover here? Share them in the comment section below! I love learning new focus hacks.