It’s normal.
You’re bent on finishing the work at hand, and suddenly something comes up. You don’t give thought to how pressing any distraction is — you just give it attention.
Five minutes, ten minutes. Sometimes it goes to over an hour.
When you get back to work — boom — you’ve no idea where you left off or why you couldn’t get your mind and heart into it. You can’t stay focused at work anymore and are becoming less productive. There goes your valuable time and effort. There goes your momentum and peak of creativity.
Because there’s no chance of shutting out the world while you’re busy, the decision to stay focused at work is in your hands. It’s about finding the right techniques, knowing your priorities, and sticking to them.
Stuck for ideas? Well, here are 15 ways to stay focused at work:
1. Always find what you do inspiring and fun
Any meaningful task or routine takes a large part of one’s focus. Before starting anything, ask yourself why you should do it. With your answer, there will be that output you so desire — and so you value the task. Then find ways for the task to become fun, like allowing your creativity and imagination to play in the process. Don’t stick within borders of “approved” output; have your options opened for new, fun ideas.
When you make something you can call your own, you’re more likely to stay focused at work.
2. Choose a great chair-and-table combo
Many people find working physically strenuous even if it’s done seated most of the time.
Don’t lose precious time and be distracted with discomfort. Get a really good chair with great back support; make sure your desk or worktable is well-structured as well. That way you can work for many hours and not find your body and eyes getting strained.
3. Get your work station organized
Too much stuff within arms’ reach or atop your desk can prove to be really distracting. To stay focused at work, only have the things you need neatly piled on your desk — put the rest away properly, like in a desk drawer or shelves. Have an area for food and drinks, your bag or purse, and other personal items.
But have them within reach so you can just grab a drink without losing focus on what you’re doing.
4. Make your computer distraction-free
This is very important for people who use PC for work: Have shortcuts for all routinely used programs.
Put in just one folder all files related to each project or task. Then ensure your PC is always virus-free to saved you the hassle of checks and repairs. Instances such as these cause stress and will wane your interest to finish the tasks.
5. Have enough water nearby
Drinking water isn’t only healthy, it refreshes you as well. Once you feel the first sign of fatigue or hunger, a glass of water can push them away. Then you can finish what you’re doing and rest at a later time. Besides, not all stomach rumblings are signs of hunger, and drinking a glass of water usually deals with it.
Just make sure you have water within arms’ reach. That way you stay focused at work instead of walking to the water station — and becoming prey to distractions!
6. Bring in the snacks
Like having water close by, the food that could settle a grumbling stomach must always be at hand. For the same reason of having 90% of your attention at work, eating within your workspace area will not expose you to unrelated activities. So make sure your snacks are within arms reach too!
7. Make a daily “to-do” list and keep it nearby
It’s always helpful when you have your list of tasks beside your PC (or at any conspicuous place in the work area). Having it in your PC or mobile phones often opens doors to checking other trivial tabs or windows, or responding to unimportant SMS messages.
So put your “to-do today” list where you can always see it, and cross out the “done” tasks. That way, you won’t be digging through your bag or finding that page where you wrote them.
8. Prioritize the tasks
The first hour at work is where most people are productive. This is because all energies are yet to be spent. So put all the taxing, difficult and challenging tasks on your agenda during the first hour. Follow these with the less pressing work, and then end with those routine tasks that you find boring.
Such methods makes you stay focused at work, without spending precious time on doing tasks you don’t like. Do this and you won’t be stressed with important projects at the end of the workday.
9. Let others know of your strict personal policies
If you’re bent on making your personal working system work, let others know it. Chances are, you’d be left alone on the hours where you’re focused on the really big, important work. When people at work know you’re on your “free time”, they will pose questions and talk during such periods. Unless there’s a very urgent matter at hand, they’ll leave you at work.
After all, they want the same.
10. Put on the headphones
In most offices, there are various sources of sounds that can prove distracting — like the floor polisher, the mail cart, workmates talking, phones ringing, and sounds of things dropped on the floor. Protect yourself with headphones so you can stay focused at work. The headphones will ward off surprising sounds — and those that get your mind wandering.
11. Be unreachable, busy, away…or “invisible”
Not all calls are about your apartment being burglarized, or a loved one being in precarious situation. So turn off your mobile phone to silent mode during hours where you really need all attention on your work. You can also opt to activate the voicemail service.
As for instant messaging, set the status to indicate you’re “busy” or stay “invisible” while you work. If you still get IMs, then just turn the program off and turn it on later when your current task isn’t as pressing.
12. Stay away from social networking sites
These sites aren’t meant to be checked all the time. So discipline yourself to log in only when you have extra minutes free.
There’s a strong tendency that you’ll stay much longer than planned because something new, interesting and perky always comes with most social networking sites. Not only will it defeat your purpose of staying focused at work, but there’s plenty of information there that could get your mind unnecessarily perturbed — like a friend’s status about her heartbreak, or someone from work getting a raise.
13. Organize your emails
Another really stressful and distracting activity is email. Let’s face it: You get a lot. Likely a heavy mix of personal and work correspondence, promos and updates from your sites, and 9undoubtedly) spam.
One good way to avoid this is to have a separate email address for work and one for your personal email. Have them both powered to filter all emails. Once you have free time on hand, check emails again and unsubscribe from senders who you could live without. Then, organize the emails you’d attend to later. Delete the rest.
Finally, check your emails only when you’re done with the most important task of the day. Make sure you limit your email time as well.
14. Redesign your phone use
Phones are meant for important concerns, chats about the previous night’s date are meant for long lunch breaks. Observing such rule would help you stay focused at work. You could also request your workmates to inform your callers you’d get back to them at a later time instead of always tapping your back or shouting out that you’ve got a call at any time. Once you’re done with work, call back the earlier callers and explain your situation briefly. In the next two minutes, ask about their concern, note it down and tell them you’d call them back for their needed action. Prepare and write all their needed details, bearing in mind their possible follow-up thoughts on the matter. Then call them back and always limit the phone conversation to less than three minutes.
15. Choose suitable music
The point of having music in the background while you’re working is to provide ease and inspiration. For some, listening to music pumps up their adrenaline so they can work with greater energy.
But not all kinds of music are pleasant for everyone — and some are not suited for one’s mood. So organize your music library accordingly. Apart from helping you stay focused at work, no distractions should take place. There’s nothing more jarring than suddenly hearing loud, heavy metal screaming after some relaxing jazz music.
Final Thoughts
Just remember — you are surrounded by events and people at work that could cut off your momentum. You can help keep these at bay and stay focused at work with any of the 15 great ways mentioned above.
Do you have any other ways you stay focused at work? Share them in the comments below.
(Photo credit: Low-key portrait via Shutterstock)
专心工作的15个方法
这很正常。
你正决定完成手头的工作。突然，某件事情需要解决。你没有想这让人分神的事情是否紧迫——你就开始了。
五分钟，十分钟。有时，超过一个小时。
等到你回到先前的工作——轰——你不知道刚才做到哪儿了，或者不知道自己为什么不能全神贯注地做这件事。你的注意力再也不能集中在工作上了，效率也低了。你宝贵的时间和努力白费了。你的动力和创造力不见了。
你忙碌的时候，不可能与世隔离。专心工作的决心掌握在你的手里。这不过需要找到合适的技巧，知道你的优势，并且持之以恒。
没什么想法？好吧，下面有十五个专心工作的方法：
1. 总是发现你所做的鼓舞人心的有趣的事情
任何有意义的任务或常规都需要一个人很多的注意力。在开始做任何事之前，问问自己为什么应该做这件事。有了答案，就会有你如此渴望的产出——那么，你就会重视这项任务。然后，想办法让这项任务变得有趣，比如，让你的创造力和想象力在此过程中玩耍。不要拘泥于“认可”的产出；让自己可以随意选择一些新奇有趣的想法。
当你做一些可以称为是自己的东西的时候，就更有可能专心工作。
2. 选择舒适的桌椅组合
很多人发现，即使多数时间坐着办公，可还是会觉得腰酸背痛。
不要因为桌椅不舒适而浪费宝贵的时间，分散精力。买一张靠背很舒服的好椅子。确保你的办公桌或者工作台结构合理。那样的话，你能工作好几个小时，而身体和眼睛却不觉得疲劳。
3. 让你的工作环境变得井井有条
胳膊够得到的东西太多，或者办公桌上方东西太多，都会让你分神。为了专心工作，只把你需要的东西整齐地堆放在你的桌子上——把其余的收好，比如放在抽屉或者架子上。找一个地方放吃的和喝的，你的包，还有其他的个人物品。
但是，把它们都放在你够得到的地方，这样你就可以喝点东西，又可以专注做手头的工作。
4. 让你的电脑里没有让你分神的东西
这一点对于使用电脑工作的人很重要：为所有经常用到的程序设定快捷方式。
把所有的关于某一项项目或任务的文件置于一个文件夹。然后，确保你的电脑没有病毒。这样你可以免受检查和修理的烦恼。这样的事例给人压力，会减弱你完成工作任务的兴趣。
5. 身边有足够的水
喝水不仅是为了健康，也让你神清气爽。一旦你觉得累了或饿了，一杯水就可以把它们赶跑。接着，你就可以完成手头的工作，晚些时候休息。此外，并非所有的肚子咕咕叫都代表饥饿，通常喝一杯水就可以解决。
确保水就在你胳膊够得到的地方。那样，你就可以专心工作，不用走到打水的地方——被别的事情分神！
6. 带点零食
就像把水放在身旁，让咕噜作响的胃安静的食物必须放在手边。处于同样的原因——把你90%的注意力投入工作，在你的工作区域之内吃东西能避免让你做不相关的事情。因此，确保你的零食也在胳膊可以够得到的范围之内！
7. 列出每天要做的事情并放在身旁
列出每天要做的事情并放在电脑旁（或者工作区域任何显眼的地方）。这一点很有用。如果把工作的清单放在电脑或者手机上，你往往会查阅其他无关紧要的选项卡或者视窗，或者回复不重要的短信。
所以，把你的“今日必做”清单放在你总是能够看到的地方，划掉“已完成”的任务。那样的话，你就不用把包翻个底朝天，也不用找来找去找你写必做事项的那一页。
8. 根据轻重缓急把任务分类
工作的第一个小时是人们效率最高的时候。这是因为所有的精力还有待消耗。所以把所有费力棘手，又富于挑战性的任务放在日程表的第一个小时里。排在这后面的是不太紧急的工作，最后是那些让你倍感无聊的常规性任务。
这样的方法让你能够专注于工作，不浪费宝贵的时间做自己不喜欢的任务。 这样做，你就不会在工作日结束的时候感到很有压力了。
9. 让别人知道你的原则
如果你决心让自己的工作方式发挥作用，那么让他们知道这一点。 很可能的情况是，你可以不受打扰地花几个小时专注于那一项真正重大的工作。当同事知道你在休息时段，会在此期间提问题或者和你交谈。除非有特别紧急的事情，否则他们不会打扰你工作的。
毕竟，他们希望别人也这样待自己。
10. 戴上耳机
大多数的办公室都有各种各样的声音源让人分神——比如，地板打蜡器，邮车，同事说话，电话铃声，东西掉在地上的声音。戴上耳机保护自己，这样你就可以专心工作。耳机可以避免你听到一些让人惊讶的声音——还有那些让你思绪飘开去的声音。
11. 让别人找不到你，让自己忙碌、离开或者“隐身”
并非所有的电话都是关于你的公寓被盗了，或者心爱的人处于极其危险的境地了。所以，在需要全神贯注工作的时候，把你的手机置于静音模式。你也可以选择激活语音信箱服务。
至于即时短信，工作的时候把状态设为“忙碌”或者“隐身”。如果你还是收到即时聊天短信（IMs），那就关掉那个程序。等晚些时候，你手头的工作不那么紧迫了再打开。
12. 远离社交网站
这些网站不需要时刻查看。所以严格要求自己，有几分钟空闲时间的时候，再登陆。
大多数的社交网站上总是有一些新奇活泼有趣的信息，所以你非常可能比原计划超时很多。这样做不但击毁了你专心工作的目标，而且还有大量信息让你产生不必要的烦躁——比如一个朋友的状态说自己的心脏病了，或者某个人涨工资了。
13. 整理你的邮件
另外一个让人紧张，令人分神的就是电子邮件。面对现实吧：你有很多电子邮件，很可能有私人信件，工作信件，预告片，网站的更新，毋庸置疑，还有垃圾邮件。它们都混杂在一起。
避免这点的一个好办法就是有一个电子邮件地址专门用于工作，一个电子邮件地址专门用于私人信件。并设定过滤所有的电子邮件。一旦你有闲暇时间，再次查看电子邮件，取消你不需要的订阅。然后，整理你以后会关注的电子邮件。剩下的都删除。
最后，只有在完成当天最重要的工作之后才查阅邮件。一定要控制浏览邮件的时间。
14. 重新规划你的电话使用
电话是用来聊重要事务的。聊前一晚的约会可以在午饭休息的时候进行。遵守这个原则有助于让你专注工作。你也可以要求同事告诉打电话的人你晚些时候会回电，而不是让你的同事随时拍你的背或者大声喊有你的电话。一旦完成工作，给先前打电话的人回电话，简单地解释你的状况。接下来的两分钟，询问他们有什么事情，记下来，告诉他们事情办好，你会再打电话给他们。准备并写下他们需要的细节，牢记他们对于这件事接下来的可能会有的想法。然后，给他们打电话，一定把谈话控制在三分钟之内。
15. 选择合适的音乐
工作的时候听音乐让你感到放松，给你提供灵感。对于一些人来说，听音乐让他们体内产生更多的肾上激素， 这样他们能够更加经济充沛地工作。
然而，并非所有类型的音乐都让人心旷神怡——某些音乐不适合一个人的心境。因此把你的音乐库根据心境相应地整理。除了帮助你专注工作的音乐，不能有其他让你分神的东西。听过一些让人放松的爵士乐，突然听到吵闹的重金属尖叫声会让你觉得异常刺耳。
还有一些想法
记住——你的周围是各种事件和工作的人们，他们可能会让你失去动力。使用上面提到的任何一种方法都可以让你不受他们的影响。
你有别的专心工作的方法吗？可以在下方的留言中和大家分享。
本文由由译言网emmaj提供
