How To Get Things Done When You Can't Focus

When you have work to do and can’t seem to concentrate, it makes getting anything done pretty tough. Read on for my best hacks and learn how to focus!

How many times have you sat down to write or work only to struggle to get anything done? Maybe your mind is racing, or Instagram keeps calling your name, or maybe you just plain give up. (I’ve been there!)

I used to struggle so much when I would sit down to do tasks that required concentration. My mind would be in overdrive and it was so frustrating.

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

How To Focus

There are a number of tips and hacks that I have discovered to make concentrating easier. Here are my best tips.

#1 – Have A Dedicated Place To Work

Set up a desk in a location where you won’t be disturbed. Make sure it has plenty of light.

Maybe it’s your dining room table or a tiny corner in the bedroom with a foldup desk… It really doesn’t matter.

You won’t be able to focus as easily in front of the TV, or in a busy area. So carve out a space for yourself and get to work!

#2 – Remove The Clutter

It’s almost impossible for me to do my best work at a messy table or desk. It’s distracting and it feels extra stressful.

If I’m really on a time crunch and I have a pile of papers or books in my workstation, I will literally put them in a box and set it aside.

Cleaning off the surface helps too. Something about wiping the surface helps me feel like I’m starting from a blank slate.

#3 – Try The Pomodoro Technique

If I’m doing something I really don’t want to do, I’ll use the Pomodoro Technique.

This is such a great hack to get things done. It’s basically 25 minutes “on”, and 5 minutes “off”. So you work, then take a short break, then another work session, and another break, and so on.

There are even apps for this too!

If you’re wondering why all the tomato themed apps, it’s because “pomodoro” means tomato in Italian.

#4 – Put Down The Distractions

This means your phone too! So many tools have you use your phone, but try to stay off social media or your email.

Close the tabs on your browser, or better yet – use a completely different browser for work only.

If you really want to get serious, you can set up a completely new user on your computer that’s just for work. Boom! No distractions.

#5 – Choose An Anchor

Pick something that helps you sink into work. Maybe it’s an essential oil blend that you like, a candle that you burn, or music that you listen to. Or maybe it’s all three.

I always put on music whenever I’m having trouble concentrating. It completely transforms me into a creative, focused person. I swear, it’s magic!

This playlist on Spotify is pretty good. Try it out if you like.

If you want to take it up a level, check out my ultimate focus playlist via YouTube using high-frequency tones and binaural beats.

My Ultimate Focus Playlist

I had heard about binaural beats for focusing and some of them seemed to work. Some didn’t. So I put together my playlist on YouTube here so you can use these anytime you need to get something done. Try it – it will make such a difference!

To make these more powerful, use headphones (noise-canceling headphones work even better).

This Study Music is my favorite: