Dr. David Meyers, a researcher at the University of Michigan, found that the inability to concentrate for 10 minutes at a time in a day can decrease productivity from 20-40 percent.  That is more than most of us can afford to lose.  It is possible for you to handle distractions and increase your energy and ability to focus even with email, IM, Twitter, iPods, and cell phones.

So, what are some basic things you can do to sharpen your ability to focus and increase your energy?

1. Have an idea of what you want to focus on.  Is it the steps it will take you to complete a personal or professional goal?  It might be to:  improve a relationship that is important to you, find a new job, or redecorate a room in your home.  How important is it to you on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being extremely important?  Is it in the present or future?
2. Take time outs.  Deanna Davis discusses the need for “Recovery Time” in the form of time outs in her book Living with Intention (2005).  Your body has a high energy and focus cycle of about 90-120 minutes followed by a 20 minute low point in which you are less energetic and motivated.  Mini breaks, rest or relaxation allows you to refresh yourself mentally and physically.  Mini breaks also decrease the release of stress hormones which compromise your brain and physical health over time.
3. Use a reset button.  During “crunch” times which you may face from time to time, you may have to rely on a simple ritual or habit that will provide a short recovery time.  These need to take only about 30 seconds to a minute and be something that you can do automatically without thought.  It might be several calming breaths, a short stretching exercise, saying a calming phrase, or looking at a picture that is pleasing to you.  It is like touching a reset button that gives you a renewed feeling of energy and focus.
4. Have work-free zones.  Establish times and spaces that give you the opportunity to disconnect from work in order to create more balance in your life.  By disengaging for short time periods, you will increase your energy and focus.

You may have to intentionally practice these behaviors one at a time until they become automatic and effective.  It helps if you:

• Have a strong reason to be more focused – a deadline.
• Feel committed because the task matches your values or is something you strongly believe in.
• Are willing to take the time to practice.
• Develop a system to support the changes you want to make by putting in place something positive to make it easier for you to remember to change your present behavior (a note to yourself or a special place to put something).

It takes about three months for a new behavior to become a life-long habit.  Then your mind is freed up to concentrate on other things that are important to you.

Be sure to develop a system that supports your change in behavior in order to make it easy for you to follow through with your commitment.  You will be amazed at how sharp your focus can be.

Action Step:  Begin today to try one of these focusing ideas.  Remember it takes practice and time to make this change automatic.  The effort is worth it. 

Research indicates multitasking decreases your ability to focus.  While it may seem like you are doing two things at the same time, you are actually switching your focus from one thing to another when you are multitasking.  The process of switching registers in the brain as an interruption.  Interruptions tend to slow a person down because you lose your focus.  When you are multitasking, you end up not really focusing on either thing you are doing.  

One woman decided to do her own research on whether or not she was more effective when she was multitasking.  She tried to not multitask for a week.  During the week, she kept a record of how effective she was with the basic daily tasks at home.  At the end of the week, she determined that for very routine tasks, washing dishes, folding clothes, ironing, she could also listen to music without feeling like she was missing anything important with either the task or enjoying the music.  However with other tasks, she found that she was more efficient if she stopped herself from multitasking.

In teens, multitasking while doing homework can impede the development of the brain’s pre-frontal cortex according to recent cognitive neuroscience research.  This area of the brain is sometimes referred to as the executive center because it is responsible for social cognition, planning, conceptualization, reasoning, and decision making.   These abilities are needed to focus and for prioritizing when multitasking.   

In additon, research has found that multitasking:

•  Decreases productivity and efficiency.
•  Is detrimental to your physical and emotional health.
•  Is harder to do as you get older.
•  Interferes with effective one on one communication.

Could you go a day without multitasking? 

Action step:  Try going several hours without multitasking.  Notice your energy level, your ability to focus, and the time it took you to do what you had to do.  Are there some things you can multitask and be efficient?  Determine which tasks need your focused attention in order to be done well.

Maurine