Stress, anxiety, fear, tiredness, can all have huge implications on our mental and physical health. Before we know it we are feeling like we are constantly running to catch up. It can escalate into an even more negative cycle that feeds on itself. In the end something has to give and that something could be us if we don’t tackle these proactively.

This of course can have huge implications for both our personal and professional lives. Our ability to focus properly could be badly affected by stress and anxiety. Being able to focus is important and we need to regain that ability as quickly as possible.

Being able to focus isn’t something we are naturally born with. It is a skill that we learn as we grow up. For some being able to focus is more difficult than for others. But focus is something that we can learn or regain at any time.

Tackling The Source Of The Problem Is Vital.

Of course tackling the source of the problem is vital and it will be better to do so for us in the long term. There are some significant mental and physical health issues that come from not tackling the source of our stress, anxiety or other mental health problems. That may require working with a therapist and I would certainly recommend a visit to your GP or main family doctor.

But there are some things we can do to help ourselves as well. Some self-help tips to help deal with stress, anxiety, fear, tiredness, etc., of course will also help make the ability to focus better.

Tips To Help You Regain Your Focus.

Get Some Basic Self-Care In Place First

When I work with clients one of the first things I like to tackle is relaxation through meditation first and sleep problems next. Both sleep and meditation are what I consider part of our very basics of self-care.

There are some very good reasons I do this.  The simple reason is that meditation gives us the ability to actually stop what we are doing and take at least a couple of breaths before we move forward. In essence, a chance to stop, think and then we can respond more appropriately. It doesn’t have to take very long as a simple 3 minute breather done throughout the day will re-centre and calm you.

Tackling our sleep allows us to feel more refreshed and lifts the brain fog that accompanies a lack of sleep. This brain fog can go unnoticed until it lifts but it will impair your focus, judgement and decision making skills. It is widely known to cause accidents in the workplace and at home. Plus as you can imagine our mental and physical health suffers. So that also pushes our stress levels up continuing the negative cycle.

Some Other Strategies That Will Help You Regain Your Focus.

When we are stressed, anxious, fearful or tired we can get caught up in procrastination and other thought distortions. This certainly won’t help us keep our focus firmly placed where it’s needed. So what strategies will help us to regain that focus again.

Complete A Brain Dump.

When we are caught up in our head we need something quick that can help us refocus. So writing out your to do list will help you. A simple brain dump of what’s going on inside your head. List it all out, everything, thoughts, feelings, to do’s, appointments, and shopping lists. Anything at all that is clogging up your brain at the moment in time.

This will do two things. It frees up some space in your head so you can think clearly again about the task and make you more aware of your thinking patterns. Negative thinking patterns is something you can then reach out and get help with if you need. 

Once you have completed your brain dump the most important thing is to then start with one small item off your to do list. Pick one five or ten minute task and get that completed. That is usually enough to help you get moving and focused again.

Having A Planner System Will Also Help.

This can either be online or paper. Personally I love paper as I can access it quickly and see everything laid out more easily. It really doesn’t matter but what you need to do is use it correctly. I’ve laid out how having a good planning system can really help your mental health in a previous blog.

Make sure to note down all appointments, to do’s, tasks – home and work. Plan out projects, making sure they are in bite size pieces that can be completed in no more than 20 minutes at a time. If they are bigger than this see can you break the tasks down further. Then plan them out into your daily to do lists for the week.

But also make sure to write down start dates not finish dates for any tasks and projects. Make a deal with yourself that you will create start dates that will leave you time to complete something well in advance. Most of us leave things to the last minute instead of getting the task started as soon as possible. We then wondered why we feel so rushed and stressed.

Focus On One Thing At A Time.

Firstly make sure you are focusing on what’s really important to you. Make sure you are focused on what needs to be done of course. Some question you can ask here are:

1. Is it your task to complete in the first place?
2. Can you delete it or delegate it so you can make better use of your time?
3. Are you focused on the solution rather than just the problem?

All too often when we get stressed, anxious, tired, etc., we can get caught up in our problems, the past, worrying about the outcomes in a negative way. All the while we are not focused on finding the right solution to the situation or task. Instead of being critical or getting caught up in negative thinking try to bring your focus back to the task at hand instead.

Visual Reminders Of Your Goal Can Help You Focus More.

It can be a good idea to have something tangible to remind you of your goals. For instance you can create a vision board. This can be something you create for your wall or as a screen saver for your devices.

Encourage yourself also by placing some affirmations on the board. But you can also surround yourself with mementoes that remind you of how much you have already achieved. Examples of these could be: certificates; photos of your positive supporters, family, friends or graduation; your first contract or copy of the first cheque if you are a business owner, etc.

Anything that will remind you of how far you have come and all that you have achieved. It doesn’t have to be big either. Small achievements are often overlooked and these can sometimes mean more to us than the big ones.

Surround Yourself With Those Positive Supporters.

If you haven’t done so before now get a team of positive people surrounding you now. These people can help you in one of at least four ways: tangible, informational, emotional or social support. Having these people and information in place has been shown to reduce our stress and anxiety levels. Thus helping you regain your focus also.

Have An Accountability Buddy.

Add in an accountability buddy as well as part of your support team. Make sure this is someone who will keep you on track and motivated to keep your focus on task. This person doesn’t have to do exactly what you do but they must be supportive and trustworthy.

Make sure that you meet up at least once a month to plan efficiently together. This can be done online if needed. Quick weekly reviews and check-ins will also keep your focus on track. So make a regular appointment in your schedule and stick to it.

Cut The Notifications From Devices.

Research has given us a good indicator of how addictive our devices can be. But they can also negatively impact our ability to focus. They keep us so well trained. We have to instantly stop and answer each time we get a notification. We also can spend so much time just surfing our devices, another time waster and source of distraction.

Devices can be such a distraction when we are trying to focus on something. Turn off notifications for all social media and emails if you can. Set aside a specific periods when you will check these and mark it into your planner. Don’t answer work emails and queries outside of work hours as your personal time should be solely for you, your family and friends. They need your focus just as much as your work does if not more if you want a life/work balance.

Cut The Clutter. 

Clutter can impact our mental and physical health in such a negative manner. Even clearing off your desk and keeping it organized can help you stay more focused. A desk that is in disarray can be very distracting and makes more work for us to try and find things.

So get a simple system in place and try to use the one touch method for things. That means you try to deal with an item only once. It is so much easier if we keep things clear and clutter free as we work than if we let it built up in the first place. But if you have done so just set aside 10 minutes a day and pick one room to declutter at a time. This will have you back on track in no time at all.

Try To Get Moving.

It’s okay to get up and move about even while working. This is particularly important if you are stressed or anxious. The adrenaline coursing through your body makes it very hard to sit still and focus on anything.

So it might be better for you to get up and walk about for a few minutes. Then do a brain dump and pick one simple task to get you started again (see above). You can also get up and move about every time you finish a twenty minute task. This will allow your mind time to switch between tasks which it needs if you are to focus successfully.

Reach Out For Support.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. In fact I would strongly advice you make sure you create a positive support system before you start to make any changes in your life. One part of that positive support system is working a therapist. Please reach out to a local therapist if you need to.

My Workbooks

I offer a variety of tips and discuss a range of topics in my workbooks The Building Blocks Of Self-Care, Moving Towards Self-forgiveness, The Little Book Of Reflection And Gratitude and Building Acceptance Into Your Life. You can purchase them on Amazon or here.