You can be more focused and productive simply by making small changes in how you do things. In this article, you will learn how to improve focus and productivity quickly.

How To Focus and Be More Productive

1. Set Goals For the Desired Outcome

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In one study, researchers found that setting goals improves the performance of workers by up to 15% even without financial incentives involved.

When a person sets a goal for himself and begins working, his mind automatically considers what should be done next.

A person also becomes more aware of any mistake he might make if he is working for a particular goal. Thus, the mere act of setting a goal for yourself helps you to stay focused while working.

However, not all goals are beneficial. Setting goals that are too easy might negatively affect your productivity, because you will know that you can attain your goal even without exerting much effort.

Goals that are too difficult are bad as well since they will force you to overwork yourself.

It is necessary to set a goal that is easy enough that working for it is sustainable over the long term, but difficult enough that it presents you with a healthy challenge.

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2. Set Daily Goals

Having an ultimate goal is not enough. It is also important to divide your goal into bite-sized pieces that you can work on every day. Setting daily goals comes with several benefits.

First, it helps you to be consistent. Daily goals make you work continuously and regularly. Second, it gives structure and clarity.

The problem with overall goals is that they are usually vague.

With daily goals, you will know exactly what you need to do every day to successfully complete your task.

Lastly, setting daily goals helps you to avoid distractions. If you know what you have to do, you will focus on looking for ways to do it.

It means there will be less time wasted on things that are unrelated to your goals.

3. Start With the Most Important Or the Hardest Task

Research shows that people with a heavy workload gravitate toward simple and easy tasks. This approach helps workers to be less anxious about their performance.

However, completing easy tasks and ignoring the difficult ones can result in a false sense of progress.

The difficult tasks are often more important than menial ones. Spending most of your time and energy on unimportant things will lead to productivity loss.

By the time you finish the easy tasks and begin working on the difficult ones, you are already tired or are running out of time.

Working on the difficult tasks first means you will tackle these tasks while you are in the best position to do so. Your mind and body are still fresh. Also, you are still full of energy.

The difficult tasks might actually seem easy when you do them first. If you will do them last, they might appear to be more difficult than they actually are.

Completing the difficult tasks first can also inspire you to do more: you have finished the most challenging tasks, the remaining ones are definitely simpler and easier.

4. Make Sure You Have a Comfortable Workstation

Your workplace affects how you work. It is difficult to stay focused when working in a cramped and/or dirty room.

Bringing your “A game” is difficult if your back is aching because of the chair or desk you are using.

If you are not comfortable with the area you are working in, it will be hard to remain productive.

Also, it will be extremely difficult to be inspired and excited about your work.

Clearly, having a comfortable work station will help you to give your best in carrying out your tasks.

5. Set Time For Daily Physical Activities

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A study shows that exercise boosts one’s mental abilities, such as concentration, creativity, and learning capabilities.

People who exercise at work experience improvements in their mood and job performance.

They find it easier to deal with the pressures and demands of their work. They have more tolerance with regard to their shortcomings and those of others.

They also avoid afternoon fatigue, which some people refer to as “post-lunch dip.”

Even those who exercise regularly benefit from exercising while at work. The type, duration, and intensity of the exercise do not matter.

If you want to stay focused and productive throughout the day, do some quick exercises during your breaks.

6. Work On Time Cycles

There is a reason why the Pomodoro technique is highly popular. It helps people to work with the time they have.

With this technique, you will break your work time into chunks with 25 minutes each.

After working for 25 minutes, you will have a 5-minute break. You will begin working again for 25 minutes once the break ends.

The problem with working continuously for several hours is that it leads to boredom and loss of focus. It is hard to remain focused after doing the same thing for 4 hours straight.

With the Pomodoro technique, you will focus on your task for a relatively short period (i.e. 25 minutes) and then take a quick break.

This technique is compatible with the concept of “deep work,” which states that to improve productivity, one should focus by eliminating all types of distractions while working.

Thus, you can combine deep work and the Pomodoro technique by (1) completely focusing on what you are doing during each 25-minute work period, and (2) doing minor tasks (e.g. checking emails) during your short breaks.

7. Take Small Mental Breaks

Small breaks are more than just a downtime for your body. They help you improve your attention, brain function, and overall productivity. Your brain spends energy when you work.

Working continuously for a long time means overworking your brain. This leads to loss of focus, as discussed earlier. Also, doing the same thing for hours can be mentally draining.

Avoid loss of focus and productivity by taking a few minutes to stretch or to make a healthy smoothie for energy and focus using natural supplements (the list of my personal favorite supplements here).

8. Eliminate Distractions

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Research shows that when one gets distracted, it is not easy to refocus. Some people claim that distractions are not a big deal. They believe that they can easily switch their focus to the task at hand again after getting distracted.

But this is far from the truth. 

After the distraction, it is likely that they are simply working faster to compensate for the time lost. Working haphazardly leads to errors.

And errors lead to stress, frustration and pressure. Set yourself up for success – remove distractions from your workplace before you start working.

9. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

You can prevent mental and physical conditions by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. How can you remain focused and productive if you cannot even work because you are sick or otherwise not well?

Remember to take care of yourself. To be productive, you have to be present first. With a healthy lifestyle, you will have the vitality and energy you need to be in your top form.

Drink plenty of water

The human brain needs sufficient hydration for it to perform well. Your body uses water to transport blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your brain. Brain dehydration can lead to serious problems.

In case of short-term brain dehydration, brain cells will not get the proper amount of oxygen, blood and nutrients they need.

This leads to loss of concentration and poor memory. When one experiences long-term brain dehydration, however, the brain cells shrink and the brain itself suffers from premature ageing.

Eat brain foods

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There are certain types of food believed to be beneficial to the human brain. These “brain foods” are said to contain nutrients that improve one’s brain power.

The best brain food available are those that also protect the heart and the blood vessels.

Some of these brain foods are walnuts, berries, fatty fish, and leafy greens. These foods not only improve your brain power. They also help in slowing down cognitive decline.

Improving your focus and productivity involves not only what you do, but also what you eat.

Get enough sleep

If you believe that sleep is a powerful factor in improving your focus and productivity, and would like to learn how to get the best sleep – watch this FREE Masterclass from the best sleep expert out there!

There are biological processes in the human body that occur only when a person is asleep. These biological processes refresh the mind and body.

This rejuvenation during your sleeping state is important for you to learn, manage your emotions, and think clearly.

Sleep deprivation significantly affects your performance. Your physical reactions become slow, your thinking is impaired, and you will feel emotionally drained.

Getting enough sleep – this is one of the crucial things overlooked by people who want to know how to improve focus and productivity.

10. Try Hypnosis For Study and Focus

Hypnosis produces a calm state of mind, which helps in maintaining focus and concentration. It can also help you to eliminate distractions and live in the moment.

With a relaxed mind, your memory, creativity, and overall brainpower will be improved.

Hypnosis is normally administered by a trained therapist who skillfully introduces a person into a trance-like state of focused attention and suggestibility, and is used to eliminate undesired behaviors or to help them better cope with pain, stress and other emotional conditions.

Hypnosis can also be delivered in the form of a guided recording with instructions to follow from a licensed therapist themselves to treat specific condition eg lack of focus and concentration.

You can also self-hypnotized yourself, if you know how to.

11. Try Meditation For Focus and Productivity

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It is said that meditation affects the structural changes in the parts of the human brain that are responsible for emotional and cognitive processing.

Meditation is also associated with improvements in working memory and decision-making.

And when a person meditates, he is in fact decluttering his mind, sharpening his concentration and allowing him to work longer.

It is easier to stay focused and productive when you have a clear and relaxed mind.

12.Get a Productivity Course

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There are many productivity courses available online. These courses vary in their approaches. But they have the same goal: to help people become more productive.

There are also websites that offer consultations and/or learning materials to their customers. When choosing a productivity course, make sure that the type of content used matches the way you learn.

Are you a visual learner? If so, you might want to look for courses that provide videos.

I personally hold Mindavalley membership and have access to all their courses, and cannot recommend it enough!

Want to know what I love Mindvalley for? Read about my personal experience with Mindvalley membership here.

How To Improve Focus and Productivity: Final Word

You don’t have to do anything drastic to improve your focus and productivity. Follow the tips discussed in this article to (1) quickly develop a razor-sharp focus, and (2) begin doing the right things at the right time and in the right way.

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Can Hypnosis Help With Procrastination? (Productivity Hypnosis For Fast Results)

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