Focus: How to Get More out of Your Workday

21.8.2017

With so many distractions at work it’s no surprise that many people find it a challenge to stay focused and be productive. While we’re trying to focus on the task at hand, most of us find our minds flitting to the past or the future. Those thoughts can come mixed in with tinges of fear or regret. Throw mobile technology into the mix and we can often feel like we’re being pulled in all directions.

Why is focus so challenging?

Focus or concentration is the product of the interplay between two large regions of the brain. The more ‘primitive’ part of our brain monitors signals coming in from the senses as a warning system. As such, it’s not just the internal landscape of the brain preventing us from focusing on our work, often there are many sensory distractions around us. One study found that people are 10 to 15% more productive if they cannot see other employees.

That same area of the brain also draws on memories in its initial sense-making endeavours. It can therefore draw on traumatic experiences which create fear. It’s all part of a mechanism designed to keep us safe in more primitive contexts, but thoughts streaming from this part of the brain are impulsive and difficult to control. If something upsets us, this part of brain becomes more activated as it tries to find a solution.

The outer, more developed, layer of the brain, works to screen out these distractions so we can focus. Daniel Goleman calls this ‘top-down wiring’ and suggests it:

‘…adds talents like self-awareness and reflection, deliberation and planning to the mind’s repertoire.’

This begs the question? How can we activate our outer brain to improve concentration?

How mindfulness helps

Being mindful involves bringing the attention into the present moment which awakens some of the more developed parts of our brain. Mindfulness allows us to develop our awareness of what is happening now. Thoughts will still come, but we are more aware of them and can make more rational decisions about which thoughts need our attention at any given moment in time. Essentially, it’s not about deactivating the more primitive part of the brain. Rather, it’s about developing an awareness of it. By being more alert in the moment we can focus more clearly and be more productive at work.

The benefits of increased focus

When we’re battling our thoughts, and trying to get everything done at once, we can experience a great deal of stress. By dealing with unnecessary thinking more effectively, by focussing on one task at a time, we get more done and can deal more efficiently with a busy workday Research suggests that people who practice mindfulness can stay working on tasks longer, make fewer task switches and deal with negative emotions relating to tasks more effectively. The memory of the tasks completed is also more effective, because we have done things with awareness, rather than on auto-pilot.

When the more primitive parts of the brain are less activated, the emotions are kept more in balance during the day.One study found that participants practicing mindfulness experienced less emotional exhaustion and more job satisfaction.

When we’re able to focus, we feel better about what we’re doing which improves our happiness and overall wellbeing.

To find out more about focus in the workplace contact rachel@mindfulnessworks.com, or call (+44) 01223 750660