Decrease
the amount of noise in your head
Contributed By:Nina Zipkin
Source: Entrepreneur
Accomplishing a goal can be hard work. But even if a project is something you are passionate about and want to complete, distractions such as social media, doubts and other tasks can make it nearly impossible to concentrate on it. Don’t fret. We're here to help.
Check out these eight steps to help you prioritize and clear your mind.
1. Stop multitasking
Instead of trying to do a million things at once, take a step back and tackle one task at a time. And while your inclination might be to start your day with busy work -- like checking emails -- and then move onto to the harder things, you should try to get your brain moving by challenging yourself with with a bigger, more creative endeavor first thing.2. Block out your days
A good way to hold yourself accountable when it comes to quieting the noise all around you is to specifically block out time in your day -- maybe it’s 30 minutes or an hour -- to spend on a given project. Color code your calendar or set a timer to make sure you are accomplishing the goal at hand.Check This Out!: Need content for your Website, Blog, Newsletter, Brochure and other publications? Talk to our content production experts here!
3. Get your blood pumping
You can’t focus if your are stuck inside and staring at a
screen all day long. Turn off your computer and phone, and go for a walk for 20
minutes. The fresh air and the movement will clear your head. Also make sure
that you are drinking enough water and getting enough rest.
4. Help your technology help you
A platform like RescueTime,
a software that runs while you work and shows you how you are spending your
day, could help you understand why something is taking longer to complete than
it should. Options like Cold Turkey, Freedom and Self
Control block out the internet entirely to keep you off your Twitter feed
when you should be meeting deadlines.
5. Meditate
Get a recommendation for a yoga or meditation class, or even make it an office outing so everyone get some time to quiet their minds. Or look online for a plethora of apps and platforms whose stock and trade is mindfulness, like Meditation Made Simple, Calm and Headspace. For slightly more of a monetary investment, you could look into wearable tech like Thync, a device that produces electrical pulses to help your brain decrease stress.Read more: 10 Apps and Gadgets to Help You Find Zen
6. Change up what’s in your headphones
While background noise might help block out a loud office or
construction outside your window, you need to be careful that what you are
listening to isn’t distracting you more. Music with lyrics can sap your focus
from the task in front of you, so consider trying classical or electronic music
instead. Or use a playlist that is familiar to you, so you aren’t tempted to
turn all your attention to the new sound.
7. Streamline your communication
If you find that all of your focus gets trained on getting
your inbox down to zero, think about how you can get yourself out from under a
relentless deluge of email. Ask yourself and your colleagues to think about
whether this conversation would be most effective through email, on the phone
or in person. Taking five minutes to walk over to someone else’s workspace will
save you the time and energy invested into a redundant email chain and clarify
how you want to attack a problem more quickly.
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