Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Getting the organization in order
• Method 2 of 4: Adopt an alpha state
• Method 3 of 4: Improve your focus
• Method 4 of 4: Stay motivated
• Tips

Maintaining your focus can ensure that you can achieve just about anything, whether that's learning for a test or getting your work done an hour early. Staying focused helps you perform better at work, listen to people better, and find solutions to problems faster. If you want to know how to stop checking your Facebook or phone every 15 minutes and stay focused on the task in front of you, follow these steps.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Getting the organization in order

1. Make sure your space is well organized. Whether you are working in the office or doing your homework at home, make sure your space is tidy. This can help you focus, and help you concentrate on your work. Remove any items that could distract you and are irrelevant. Tidy up your desk and leave only the things you need to work properly. You may want to leave some photos or keepsakes to help you relax a bit.
   • If you set aside ten minutes at the end of each day to tidy up, you'll be better able to maintain your new, well-organized lifestyle.
   • If you don't need your phone for work, put it aside for a few courses. Don't let your phone take up unnecessary space, and don't let your phone distract you.
2. Make an action list. Creating an action list every day or week will help you maintain focus and keep you motivated to keep working. If you make a list of all the things, no matter how big or small, that you have to do that day or week, you will feel completely fulfilled if you can get those things off your list. This will also keep you focused on one task and don't want to do everything at once.
   • You can divide your to-do list into three lists: things to do that day, things to do the next day, and things to do next week. When you have completed your tasks for the day and have some time left, you can move on to the next set of tasks.
   • Prioritize your tasks. Put the most important or most difficult tasks at the top of your list. It is better to do the easier, more manageable tasks at the end of the day. Then you are a bit more tired, and you feel less inclined to take on the most difficult tasks. If you postpone the difficult tasks until the last minute, you will look up to them all day long.
   • Also add breaks to your to-do list. You can reward yourself with a break. When you've completed three tasks, treat yourself to a small snack or a phone call to a friend, for example.
3. Manage your time. Managing your time goes hand in hand with creating an action list. Next to each task on your list you can write down approximately how long it should take you to do it. Make a realistic estimate. Then try to complete each task within the time limit. This reduces the chance that you will slack or your friend will text for an hour instead of getting something done.
   • You can break the more time-consuming tasks into smaller, simpler branches. That way, you won't be overwhelmed by that whole slew of difficult tasks. You can think of those smaller tasks as a mini reward.
4. Make time for breaks. While it may be counterintuitive to add relaxation to your routine, this form of organization will help you stay focused. You should take a break of at least 5-10 minutes for every hour of work you do. Or take a 3-5 minute break every half hour. This will give you extra motivation to complete the task, give your eyes a break, and prepare your mind for the next task.
   • Choose an activity to do during your breaks. For example, you can set yourself a goal of reading thirty minutes over a period of three hours. Take a break to give your eyes a rest from the screen and read a chapter in a book. This will give you extra motivation to complete your tasks.
   • Don't sit at your desk all day. Get up during your breaks. Take a look out the window, take a short walk, or climb a bit of stairs to keep your blood pumping. These short breaks will give you extra refreshment.
   • You can even set a timer after every (half) hour of work, which tells you to take a break. If you are really "in the zone" you can of course skip one of your breaks, but don't make it a habit.

Method 2 of 4: Adopt an alpha state

1. Sit upright in your chair. Relax, keep your back straight, put your feet straight on the floor, and rest your arms on your lap or the handrails.
2. Close your eyes. Visualize yourself in a place that makes you feel calm and serene.
3. Take a deep breath while visualizing. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Take it easy, taking at least a full second to breathe in and out. Do this several times in a row, keeping a steady pace. Do it until you feel relatively calm.
4. If you feel calm and still have your eyes closed, inhale and look up (this activates the visual cortex). As you exhale, look down and gently open your eyes (all at the same pace as your breath.
5. Focus. You are now in the alpha state, a state of supreme concentration where your brain is ready to focus whatever. The real consequences of this are that it will become a lot easier to focus on something, and you won't be easily distracted.
   • Remember that the alpha state is close to the theta and delta states (the brain waves you experience when you sleep), so make sure you are awake and sitting upright. You don't want to fall asleep, of course.
   • If you want to switch back to the beta state (the default state your brain is in when you are awake), try shaking yourself out of the alpha state, walk around a bit, and you will return.

Method 3 of 4: Improve your focus

1. Improve the stamina of your focus. You may think that you will always be easily distracted, but anyone can improve their focus with a little bit of motivation. You just have to figure out a specific task for it, and give yourself half an hour to complete that task. In that half hour you do your best not to be distracted, you don't even get up. When the thirty minutes have passed, see if you can extend it by five or even ten minutes. Keep going and see how long you can keep building your stamina.
   • While you should take a break at least every hour, it is wise to learn to focus longer. This will make it easier to complete the tasks in front of you. It also becomes a lot easier to be able to concentrate for shorter periods of time.
2. Read more. Reading challenges the ability to focus on one task, and thus can improve your focus.If you're always zapping, texting five friends at the same time, or constantly switching radio stations, you will slowly but surely lose the ability to focus on one task. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes each day to read. You e read the newspaper, a novel, or non-fiction. It doesn't matter what you read, as long as you focus on reading it, and getting it right. Try to avoid temptation.
   • When you have finished reading, ask yourself what exactly you have read. What was the main point of this passage or article? Who were the main characters? What were the writer's main arguments? See if you really paid attention to what you were reading.
   • Learning to focus on written material will help you write better. You will also learn how to absorb information better. This will help you to learn better during your training and to focus better on certain projects at work.
3. Don't falter. Delay is the thief of time. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Postponement leads to cancellation. Rather complete your tasks today and move on to the next project.
4. Multitask less. You may think multitasking is great because it allows you to complete multiple tasks at once. You are wrong there. Multitasking confuses your head and slows you down. It prevents you from fully dedicating yourself to one task. Every time you switch between two tasks, your brain is reset for a moment. This will slow you down.
   • This is where an action list comes in handy. It ensures that you are extra motivated to complete your tasks one by one.
5. Avoid distractions. Distraction is the enemy of focus. If you want to be able to fully focus, then you need to know how to avoid distractions. If you can do that, then you are already halfway there. Here are some ways you can avoid distractions.
   • Don't get distracted on the Internet. You should try to open as few tabs as possible. The more tabs you have open stem, the more likely you are to be distracted. You may give yourself five minutes per (two) hours to check your email, Facebook, and other social media. You can use the rest of the day to kick those sites off.
   • Don't text or chat about things unrelated to your job. This takes up a lot of time and is a big distraction.
   • Don't get distracted by other people. Don't let them upset you, whether it's with people in your study group, with your colleagues, or with your friend who is constantly asking you for favors. Set aside personal affairs until your work is done. You will find that you can get your work done a lot faster, and you will be able to enjoy the personal interactions more.
   • Don't get distracted by your surroundings. If you're in a noisy environment, listen to soothing music or invest in noise-canceling headphones. While you may be tempted to look around to see what everyone is doing, allow yourself to do that only once every ten minutes. That way you keep the focus.
6. Don't drink too much caffeine. Although one cup of coffee or tea a day can make you start the workday a bit more energetic, it is not good to consume too much caffeine. It can make you too pumped to concentrate, or even too nervous after a few hours. It is better to drink water and drink only one cup of coffee or tea per day. This keeps your body hydrated, and you get enough caffeine without getting too jumpy to get anything done.

Method 4 of 4: Stay motivated

1. Find your purpose. Having a goal to complete your work keeps you motivated, and therefore keeps your focus. All too often we lose focus because we have lost sight of why we perform certain tasks and let our thoughts drift to things we would rather do. Once you've discovered your goal, write it down. Or repeat it in your head to put your energy in the right places. Your goal can be the key that opens the lock of the door to your focus.
   • When you are learning, remind yourself why that is important. It may not be important to you to get a 10 for that one test, but it may be important to pass that course. In addition, it is important for you to get good grades so that you can achieve your career goals, whatever they may be.
   • When you are doing work, remind yourself why your work is important and why the work you do matters. If it really doesn't bother you, but it's an end that justifies the means, remind yourself of all the things you can buy from your salary. Or think of all the fun things you can do when your working day is over.
2. Establish your precise goal. What is your goal to complete the task. Is it simply to finish work or school, save enough money to buy a boat, or climb the ladder of your career? Your goal could also be to tidy up your house so much that you can throw a fun party, or go for a 40-minute run to get in shape.
3. Repeat your "focus mantra". When you know exactly what your goals and ambitions are, create a focus mantra. Repeat this in your head if you feel distracted. It could be a simple phrase, such as "No more Facebook, SMS, or TV until my work is done. When my work is done, I can get a 10 for my chemistry test; if I get a 10 for my chemistry test I can close the box with a ten! "

Tips

• Willpower is like a muscle: the more you train it, the stronger it will become.
• Think of yourself as a mentally strong person in control of their own thoughts.
• No one can do this for you. You have to work hard to improve your willpower.
• Success is achieved by ordinary people who do extraordinary things.
• Don't confuse envy with your desired goal. Envy makes you weak. Inspiration and passion make you strong.
• Do not set goals for yourself that you are not yet passionate about. Use something that inspires you, gives you security, and confidence. Then plan something bigger and go for it.
• Keep a log and learn to understand how you spend your time.
• Use small incentives between tasks to motivate you.