The Best Tips for Focus, Concentration and Productivity
Calling all students, busy bees, multitaskers, procrastinators, and those who are distracted easily! What if I could give you a few tips that are easy to do that can help your concentration, focus and productivity? In our culture today, the way we work isn’t working. We are constantly multi-tasking and find ourselves exhausted from everything we manage. Keep reading for my top 6 tips to help you focus, be more productive and feel accomplished at the end of the day.
1) Prioritize your basic needs
Ever heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? If our basic needs aren’t met, we can’t reach the top of the pyramid which is self-actualization. Self-actualization helps us feel creative and allows us to easily solve problems. However, is 10 times more challenging to focus and be productive when our basic needs aren’t met. Often times when we have a large “to do list” we sacrifice taking care of ourselves to get our tasks done. Sound familiar? Sometimes we skip meals, don’t drink enough water, and go to bed later than we should. Sacrificing our basic needs can hurt our productivity even more.
If we are sleep deprived, it can decrease our concentration and impair our memory and judgement. It can also be a trigger for our amygdala, which the part of the brain important for emotions. Studies have shown that when we aren’t getting enough sleep it impacts our mood. When an individual is sleep deprived, a functional deficit occurs between the amygdala and the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, which can result in decreased mood and can the amygdala to have heightened responses to negative stimuli. Sleep debt reduces the ability of the prefrontal cortex to suppress activity in the amygdala which leads to emotional instability. (1)
An interesting study done with first year medical students found that the best predictors of sleep difficulties were stress, anger, hypervigilance, hostility, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. (2) Most people can relate to not feeling creative and having difficulty focusing when tired.
It is also important to make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking enough water. Caffeine tends to be the drink of choice to stay productive, however, it is important to keep in mind that caffeine is a diuretic which can cause dehydration. Mild dehydration can impact moods and fatigue. Not to mention, caffeine can also increase anxiety and make some people feel jittery.
Skipping meals is another huge culprit that impacts concentration and focus. Plan meals ahead of time for a busy week and meal prep if you can. Studying for a big exam? There are several foods that are considered helpful for focus and memory. To name a few: leafy greens, fish, nuts and berries.
2) Make a to do list
I don’t know how many times I have felt overwhelmed by having too much to do but didn’t know where to even start. It really helps to write it down! Studies show when we have a plan of action it increases productivity. (3)
Every Sunday, I like to sit down and plan out my week. I first write out everything I want to do for the week, then I separate out that list, so I do a little each day, all week long. By doing this, it is not as overwhelming and makes me more efficient. Take the top 2-3 most important things and put it on the top of the list. When our brain is fresh, and we feel energized we are capable of tackling the urgent things first. The best part? Crossing off those tasks!!! Why does this feel so good? When we complete a task, our brains release dopamine which is our reward chemical in the brain!
"Time is what we want most and what we use worst.” -William Penn
Another tip: When planning out the week, make sure you also schedule in “white space”. White space is a block of time you set aside every week to do something for YOU! It is exactly as it sounds…a day or time block where there is only white space on the agenda! Nothing planned! It’s a break of time to do a little self-care, unwind, and relax. It could be a whole day or a few hours. Each week may look a little different.
We should all be doing small increments of this every day, but I also find by taking intentionally longer time, it is beneficial for my well-being. I usually schedule it halfway or later in the week as a reward for being more productive earlier in the week.
3) Eliminate distractions
In a 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple people (via text, Ig, etc.), keeping an eye on social media, monitoring their smart phone, and interacting with coworkers or family. This type of ADD-like behavior causes stress levels to rise and lowers productivity.
This may sound like a no brainer, but we have to limit distractions in order to focus and be productive. This may mean leaving your phone off or in another room. Mobile phone addiction is at an all-time high. One study showed that up to 89% of people experience something called “phantom buzzing” which is a false alert when they believe they heard their phone go off and/or vibrate. (4) Another study showed that new notifications distract us, even when we don’t look over to see what they could be. The study found that by just being aware of an alert can impact someone’s performance on an attention-demanding task. (5)
It is important to recognize what may be distracting you. If the television is on, we are going to be less productive. If we are constantly being pulled away from something, we are going to be less productive. Music can also be distracting for some people. Music can also be helpful for others who have a busy mind and want to make less pleasurable tasks more tolerable (like cleaning!).
4) Pomodoro Technique
My most helpful productivity tip is to do the Pomodoro Technique! The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method originated in the 1980’s. The word “pomodoro” is derived from the Italian word “tomato”. The name came from the tomato shaped timers.
This method in time management works by making intervals of working and breaks. In our culture, we have this idea that taking breaks is detrimental to our work and productivity. Research has shown the oppositive is true. A study published in the journal Cognition found that people who took regular breaks were able to focus better and were more productive than those who worked longer hours without a break. (6) Our brains need a break! Preferably hourly!
How the Pomodoro Technique works:
To do this time management method, set a timer for a certain time. Traditionally, it was for 25 minutes of focused work time and then when timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. When you do 3 intervals of the Pomodoro Technique then you get a 30-minute break. This helps train the brain to stay on task and allows it to rest during the scheduled breaks. During the breaks, do something to reset. Get away from the computer if working online. Take a quick walk outside. Get a snack. Stretch. Check your phone or social media if you like. When we take a break, our body again releases dopamine. This makes us feel good because we not only did something productive, but we are also rewarding ourselves with a break.
Adjust this work time/break ratio to fit into your schedule. If the traditional time ratio of 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off doesn’t seem right, another popular ratio is 52 minutes of work followed by 17 minutes of rest. There are several phone apps that are available to help you use this time management method. One of which is called “Tomato Timer”.
5) For women, lean into your inner season
If you are a woman and haven’t heard of your inner season, then you are in for a treat! Women multitask all month long and expect to have the same energy levels every single day. This simply isn’t possibly due to the cyclical nature of our bodies. The shifts in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone affect mood, motivation, energy, confidence and libido to name a few. If you know what inner season we are in, it can empower you to lean into that season of creativity and sociability and also the slower seasons of rest and inner focus.
This is great video summary of all the changes that occur throughout the month within a woman’s body:
If we can lean into those cyclical changes, we can better manage our month and set ourselves up for success. This is a great TEDx talk on this topic from Alisa Vitti who is a Holistic Health Practitioner. In her talk, she discusses how when we are in partnership with our bodies, we become the fullest expression of ourselves. We then naturally improve our lives professionally and personally, while also experiencing more happiness.
So how do I do this? I lean heavily into my inner seasons when planning out my month. I schedule less during my Winter season to allow my body and mind to rest and recharge. I lean into my Spring and Summer season by letting the creative juices flow while also being more social. During my Autumn season, I tackle that junk drawer or purge the area of the house that has been bugging me. I have found this is incredibly helpful for my success each month.
Examples of the inner seasons and how they impact our moods and behaviors. Graphic from risingwoman.com
6) Use aromatherapy to help with focus and concentration
I wish I would have known about using essential oils years ago when I was studying in nursing school. By breathing in some stimulating uplifting essential oils, it can allow the brain to stay on task and restore energy.
When we are engaging our sense of smell, it allows us to be more present.
Ever heard the expression “Stop and smell the roses”? The expression came into use in the 1960s and is a rephrasing of a sentiment found in an autobiography written by golfer Walter Hagen: “Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
In addition to allowing us to be more present, essential oils contain chemical constituents that are stimulating for the brain. This can help enhance memory and allows us to focus and concentrate better.
My favorite essential oils for focus:
Rosemary has a long history of being known to help promote memory. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia declares “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you love, remember.”
Grecian scholars would wear rosemary on their heads to improve their recall while taking exams. Research has shown that rosemary does have a significant positive effect on the ability to remember things and improve reaction times. (7)
Basil is stimulating and may increase alertness and improve memory by dissipating fatigue related distraction.
Peppermint is a great focus boosting essential oil and may help increase quality of memory. It also has a cooling somatosensory effect which can re-energize a fatigued mind/body while promoting clarity.
Vetiver is helpful for relieving stress and clearing a busy mind. It’s heavy, smokey, earthy aroma can be grounding while also promoting focus.
Spearmint is similar to peppermint in helping re-energize a tired mind and body therefore restoring concentration.
Frankincense is a soothing calming oil that can facilitate deeper awareness which can help promote memory retention.
Other helpful essential oils for focus and concentration:
Ylang Ylang
Fir
Pine
Cedarwood
Sandalwood
Lemon
Cardamom
Cypress
Eucalyptus
Some ways to use essential oils to help promote focus, memory and concentration:
Make an aromatherapy inhaler
Use in a roller and apply to neck and behind ears when studying
Diffuse a stimulating blend
Essential Oil Recipes to Try:
Focus Roller Blend
3 drops Rosemary
5 drops Grapefruit
3 drops Eucalyptus
Add essential oils to 10ml glass rollerball. Fill rest with carrier oil. Apply to wrists, temples, or neck when needing a little focus and energy.
Get It Done Diffuser Blend
3 drops Orange
2 drops Frankincense
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 drop Cardamom
Adjust drops accordingly per diffuser size and water volume.
Clear the Mind Aromatherapy Inhaler
10 drops Cypress
8 drops Rosemary
6 drops Pine
Mix essential oils together. Using dropper or pipette add the synergy to cotton wick inside the aromatherapy inhaler. Return wick to glass tube and reassemble inhaler.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
References:
Motomura Y, Kitamura S, Oba K, Terasawa Y, Enomoto M, Katayose Y, Hida A, Moriguchi Y, Higuchi S, Mishima K. Sleep debt elicits negative emotional reaction through diminished amygdala-anterior cingulate functional connectivity. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56578.
Tafoya SA, Jurado MM, Yépez NJ, Fouilloux M, Lara MC. Dificultades del sueño y síntomas psicológicos en estudiantes de medicina de la ciudad de México [Sleep difficulties and psychological symptoms in medicine students in Mexico]. Medicina (B Aires). 2013;73(3):247-51.
Schrager S, Sadowski E. Getting More Done: Strategies to Increase Scholarly Productivity. J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):10-3. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00165.1.
Kruger D, Djerf J. Bad Vibrations? Cell Phone Dependency Predicts Phantom Communication Experiences. Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 70, 2017, pages 360-364.
Stothart C, Mitchum A, Yehnert C. The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2015 Aug;41(4):893-897. doi: 10.1037/xhp0000100. Epub 2015 Jun 29.
Ariga A, Lleras A. Brief and rare mental "breaks" keep you focused: deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements. Cognition. 2011 Mar;118(3):439-43. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.007. Epub 2011 Jan 5.
Moss M, Oliver L. Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012 Jun; 2(3): 103–113.