It’s All About The F Word …….Part 3
It’s All About The F Word …….Part 3
As promised yesterday this is the final part of staying focused …
There are three more strategies that I want to share with you which I have listed below to stay focused.
1. Take a Break and Have a Meal
It is going to take practice and time for you to get your mind focused and once you have mastered the breathing exercises then try practicing mindfulness when you are taking a break for a meal, preferably when you are eating alone. It is a little bit more difficult but still very easy.
With the fast pace of life these days we normally don’t sit down and enjoy a meal. We are either eating at our computer (well I know I do a lot of the time !!), while you are watching TV or whatever other way you find ways of eating !!……..
Try and sit down in a quiet environment with no distractions and take the time to think about what you are eating. Stay focused on what you are eating and the different flavours that you are tasting. I am sure at the moment you are probably thinking about other things while you are eating like you have to take the dog for a walk after, or I must do the washing later and the list is endless. If you find this is happening then return your thoughts to your meal. Eating slowly is the key strategy to this exercise as it is more difficult to be mentally present when you are rushing. Just by doing this one activity will start to train your brain to stay focused on what you are doing and you will then have a stress free break and ready to crack on with your work.
2. Be In Control
You have to be in control as it is so easy to fall into the pattern of being pulled in all directions with every thought you are having and interruptions that occur, making it very difficult to stay focused and be mindful.
You have to be in control to stay focused on the present. You could be working on an important task and suddenly your mind wanders away and you lose your train of thought. It might wander and start thinking about what you are going to cook for dinner …….. If this happens you are not in control any more and you won’t stay focused on your project. You then have to train your brain to refocus on what you were doing.
Most of the time when this happens it is because we have taken on too much and are trying to fit everything into your day. This is when you know it is time to slow down. It can be really hard to be in control and stay focused if you are going nineteen to the dozen. You need to leave yourself enough time to think enabling you to make conscious decisions about how to work out and plan your day. By rushing through everything you will be jumping from one task to another instead of concentrating on what is important.
3. Have A Realistic Plan
I got to the stage where I had an unrealistic number of things to do over the course of the day, which made it impossible for me to focus fully on each project that I was working on. Yes – ‘things had to change’ – If you have a realistic plan you will stay focused and you will get more done. First of all list the important things on a piece of paper and set aside a certain amount of time to do these tasks. By doing this you are prioritizing your tasks and leaving the unimportant things until last and if you don’t have time for them you can leave them for another time. By leaving these less important tasks you are going to feel much more relaxed and able to stay focused.
You are not a machine so take a break between tasks as well. We are not all perfect and can’t expect every day to go to plan. I often plan my day but then something will crop up and everything is up in the air again ….. Therefore by giving yourself a little extra time is going to stop you from becoming distracted by any unnecessary pressures. You are only human so don’t feel you have let yourself down by not completing everything every day. It doesn’t work like that. Just stay focused on what you are doing and do your best.
Comments