Trouble focusing | How to get your brain to focus! Struggling to stay focused at work or school? Don’t fret, you’re not alone. The inability to concentrate can be a real bummer, but it’s usually a sign of a deeper issue. Whether it’s lack of sleep or too much stress in this video you’ll discover ways to help improve your focus.

What is focus?

Focus is our ability to concentrate on one subject or thought and exclude other unrelated thoughts or ideas that don’t serve the problem in front of us. Distractions affect our productivity. Losing focus makes it take longer to finish tasks and projects that are in front of us.

Why can’t you focus?

A study by Standford University revealed that heavy multitaskers have reduced memory because of their constant “task switching”. That high amount of information can lead to overload, making it a challenge to concentrate on the task at hand. Poor eating and fitness habits contribute to how we feel, which can directly impact our focus and concentration.

So, how can you improve your focus?

1. Reduce task switching

While we might feel more productive when jumping between different tasks, an overwhelming amount of research suggests otherwise. Multitasking reduces focus and concentration which will lower your productivity.

2. Get more sleep

Getting more sleep will help with your focus and the key is to eliminate distractions before bedtime.

3. Eat well

Start by reducing the amount of sugar you eat, cut out sweeteners and ditch the chips.

4. Exercise

Strength and flexibility training can have an incredible effect on your life. Something simple like core training can lead to better posture which can lead to reduced headache and backaches.

5. Schedule breaks

Train your brain to become hyper focused for a period of time, followed by a few minutes of relaxation. Start by deciding what task you want to complete, set a timer for 25 minutes and then get started.

6. Change your current task

If you’ve been staring at a screen without making any progress, changing to a different task can help you stay productive. It’s helpful to give your brain something fresh to focus on!

7. Eliminate distractions

If you find your current circumstance won’t let you stay focused try making a change. Close or remove social media apps on your phone or computer.

8. Take time in nature

Nature has a way of centering us. Having plants inside can lead to better air quality and sense of accomplishment as they continue to grow and thrive.

9. Embrace nothingness

It might seem counterintuitive but if you’re struggling to focus on the task at hand, take a break and do… nothing.

10. Become mindful while meditating

While we meditate we’re able to relax, leading to a clearer mind. When we become aware of our thoughts through meditation and mindfulness we can retrain ourselves to identify what causes us to lose focus so that we can bring our attention back to the task at hand.

Improving our focus is not an overnight project. This is a journey and once you start noticing changes it will make all the hard work that much more exciting! I’d also recommend checking out the book The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt – you can pick it up here: