Being able to focus enhances your productivity. Being a little bit stressed can help to focus you further. Unfortunately, too much stress can make it difficult to focus and your quality of your work and your productivity can suffer. Stress can also undermine your belief that you are capable of doing the task at hand.
Studies have shown there are many ways to decrease stress and improve your focus. Here are a few quick and easy methods:
- Breathe deeply. One minute of deep breathing can recharge your mind. Spend 5 to 7 seconds on each inhalation and on each exhalation. Track your breathing for 60 seconds. If you want, you can pause for 3 to 5 seconds. Some people find pausing effective and some people do not. The point is to focus on your breath and not on whatever is causing you stress.
- Meditate. Anyone can learn to meditate. Meditation is become much more mainstream in Western culture. Meditation is simply a specialized way of paying attention.
Use a timer because it’s difficult to simultaneously watch a clock and meditate. If you are new to meditation, start off slowly with about five minutes.
Sitting or lying down are the easiest positions to meditate in. You want to be comfortable and sit up straight. The simplest meditation is to focus on your breathing (see point #1 above). Pay attention as you inhale and exhale for the entire duration of your meditation.
As random thoughts appear, and they will, bring your attention back to your breath.
- Be mindful. This term has been used a lot, but what does it actually mean? All it really means is paying attention to what you’re doing – which is another way to say focusing. Have you ever driven somewhere (usually on a familiar route) and you don’t remember if you stopped at the stop sign you just passed? We do have a tendency to go on autopilot, especially with routine tasks. If you are more mindful of what you are doing, you’ll do a better job and relieve much of your stress.
This can take the form of worrying or daydreaming. If you are thinking about the past or the future, then you know you are not being mindful. Keep your mind your current activity.
- Move. Physical activity gets your blood moving and alters your brain chemistry. It also increases your ability to focus. Run up and down the stairs or do some jumping jacks. Just a few minutes of activity can enhance your focus, decrease your stress and release endorphins.
- Tense and release your muscles. Sometimes it is not possible or appropriate to mediate or jog up and down the stairs. Another option is to progressively tense and release each of your muscles in turn. You can start at either your head or your feet – whatever works better for you. Tense or flex and then release each muscle in your body. When you’re done, you should be totally relaxed and ready to reengage with life.
- Laugh. Studies have shown that laughter reduces stress and fatigue. It enhances your mood by making you feel better and more positive. When you feel better, it’s easier to focus. Call a friend that knows how to make you laugh. Watch a funny video or read a few jokes. Start laughing on your own. If you want to use laughter to overcome your stress, Karen Pedersen of Crystal Clear Laughter and Hypnosis is an certified (and rather amazing) Laughter Yoga Leader.
- Take a nap. Resting for a few minutes can be a great way to reset your mind. Don’t nap for too long or you will likely feel groggy.
If you’re feeling too stressed, your mind is less able to focus. The easiest way to enhance your ability to focus is to reduce your feelings of stress. Take advantage of these quick and easy techniques to reduce or eliminate stress. Everyone is different so try each technique and evaluate just how effective it is for you.