Do you find yourself having trouble focusing when you really need to get something done? Chances are, life has happened to you, making it hard to concentrate on the productivity at hand, and it might be hampering your work or personal life.
Here are three powerful tips that will help you capitalize on the benefits of having a clear head.
Related: 4 Ways to Declutter Your Mind
1. Write your thoughts on paper.
Sometimes you can’t express yourself the way you want to or should. Perhaps you are worried about hurting someone close to you or you’re afraid your words will create more trouble than they’re worth. The fact of the matter is, keeping emotions bottled up isn’t healthy for your mind or your body.
To remedy those occasions, go purchase a special notebook to be your outlet for expressing yourself, without causing hurt feelings. Whenever Abraham Lincoln wanted to really tell someone how he felt about them, he would write a nasty letter to that person and not send it. Therapeutically, it allows you to get everything out, all the while making you feel better and more productive.
Not really concerned about a certain person? That’s OK, too. The notebook is a catchall for your emotional distresses and anything you’re worried about. Keeping these thoughts together gives you an outlet, and when you release emotional distress from your mind, it allows you to make better decisions, think clearer and, therefore, be more productive.
2. Find your meditation practice.
While you might go for crossing your legs, closing your eyes and chanting om as to quiet your mind, there many other meditation practices you can try.
Meditation can be any place or practice you enjoy. My mother goes into the kitchen to cook. My father goes fishing. I run. It’s an exercise I can enjoy in solitude. It’s a place I can go to be alone and clear my head.
Whatever the scenario, make it yours. Find a place you can go to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday living. This daily practice of getting alone and thinking about the events ahead of you will give you peace of mind. And if you choose some sort of physical exercise, that is doubly good for you mentally and physically.
3. Find your distraction.
This may seem counterproductive, but neuroscientists at Brown University have concluded that the key to some productivity lies at the root of distraction. Your mind can only house one idea at a time, and when you are not being productive, then you are harboring other thoughts that keep you from your goals.
So in order to create a clear mind, you need a distraction. For example, at work, get some of your co-workers together and have a night out. Don’t talk about work at the lunch table, either; rather, find something everyone is interested in, like that basketball game last night. It allows your mind to recharge and reassemble for the rest of the day.
Distractions, while they are not the perfect solution for someone who is supposed to be focused, can be a great way to charge up the old brain cells to have them ready for round two.
If you’re having a little trouble being productive, these suggestions are powerful enough to restart everything.
