Improve Your Concentration Levels and Increase Productivity

We all want to be as productive as possible, especially if we have a deadline hanging over us, but ploughing on through regardless doesn’t always work. As humans we have limited concentration levels, which is generally considered to be around 45 minutes at a time. Therefore, if we decide to sit at our desk until we get that important task finished, we might find that this is sabotaging our productivity rather than aiding it. Staring at a blank piece of paper or computer screen when our brains are struggling to process any more information, will not help to meet that deadline.

However, there are things that you can do Improve your concentration levels, and thus your productivity:
Decide when you are at your most alert
Some people are more alert in the mornings than others who might be more alert in the evenings. Decide when you are most likely to be able to concentrate on certain tasks and maximise it. For example, if your concentration levels are particularly poor in the afternoon, avoid doing tasks that require accuracy e.g anything financial. Schedule these tasks for a time when you can give them the level of attention that they deserve.
Take regular breaks
In order to increase our concentration levels it’s necessary to schedule regular breaks into our day. If we know that we can only concentrate on a particular task for a certain amount of time e.g. 40 minutes, take a break after 40 minutes. Next week you might find that you can schedule a break after 42 minutes, thus increasing your productivity time. Experiment with this to see if you can increase your concentration time. Knowing that we can take a break from what we’re doing in a certain amount of time can help to focus the mind in a way that sitting at our desk for hours at a time can’t.
Use your breaks wisely
Taking a break to check emails will not have the desired effect. You need to be able to switch off completely from what you’re doing for a period of time. Walk away from your desk, make yourself a drink, make sure it is something that will make you feel refreshed when you return and ready to focus for the next block of time.
Make your working environment conducive to concentrating
Some people work better with the radio on, others don’t. Assess what works best for you and ensure that this is the environment that you work in. Likewise, if you work from home, ensure that you have a designated area for working, so that you can focus on work when you’re in that area and able to switch off when you’re not. This will help you to maximise work concentration levels and improve your productivity.
Get enough sleep
No-one works well when they’re sleep deprived, so feeling rested and energised will help your concentration levels considerably. Likewise, if you’ve had a busy weekend, try to ensure that you get enough quality sleep Sunday night, to ensure that you start the week as you mean to go on.
These tips will help you to improve your concentration levels and increase your productivity, remember that to get more done we need to focus, so maximise your ability to do that.
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Till Next Time
Mike Gardner — The Time Doctor
