If there’s one thing that has been consistent this week with me and pretty much everyone I have spoken to (even those who are hugely busy) it’s a dip in concentration. In conversation, people are losing words mid-sentence, we’ve struggled to keep conference calls on topic and it’s taken me twice as long as usual to write this post. My attention span seems to have shrunk in less than ten days. In the words of one person I chatted with, “this just isn’t like me – it’s really out of character.”
Although we may feel that we are ‘keeping calm and carrying on’, we are all dealing with the stress of an uncertain situation in the face of a big change. This uncertainty feels like it’s impacting some of the very basics we need for survival – like our food supply - and that anxiety can become overwhelming.
As Hilary Scarlett outlines in her great book, Neuroscience for Organisational Change, when we typically face change, our brains are wired to respond with a fight, flight or freeze response. Our bodies get ready to deal with the threat we’re facing and so our focus (and blood supply) goes to those parts of the brain that get us ready, for example to fight or run. That means less blood supply for those parts of the brain that focus on thinking, planning and managing our emotions. So, guess what? We can’t think as clearly as we usually do. ‘Brain fog’, indecision, forgetfulness and not being able to concentrate all come to the fore, quickly followed by some of our more unhelpful responses like anger and frustration.
Trying to work when we feel like this can be even more distracting and because we’re constantly trying to refocus, it can be tiring too. It can also feel incredibly unproductive (and so annoying!). For me, this is very different from feeling busy and being short of time.
So, as well as trying to carry on, here are five things I’ve refocused on this week to help me try to bring my stress levels under control, improve my concentration and attention (not my time) management and reduce distractions:
1. Remembering my sphere of influence.
I touched on this in my recent newsletter; when you feel like there is nothing you can influence, working through the things that are definitely in your control can help to get order from confusion. This week, in what feels like chaos, here’s a few things I’ve recognised I can influence:
Stepping away from any discussions I find too overwhelming at the moment. I can always come back to these.
The amount of time I spend on social media. I know if I am anxious that I spend more time scrolling social media than usual which wastes time and gets me even more stressed. So, I’ve been moving my phone into another room when I’m working
Agreeing times with folks around me (including virtual colleagues) on when we’re working and when we’re having a break, so creating order and routine.
2. Getting the priorities right.
I’ve found this really hard in the last couple of weeks, so I’ve gone back to the Eisenhower matrix, which looks at different categories of priorities. For many, the focus at the moment is on urgent work – that’s stuff that, if it’s not completed in a specific time period, will have severe, negative consequences. However, this may not be work-related – it might be making sure the kids’ computer sharing is set up for home schooling work, so they don’t fall behind.
Important tasks, it’s suggested these are done first (or at least making sure you schedule them in) otherwise they can move into your ‘Urgent’ tasks. You need to take time to assess the value of these important tasks to you and your business. This could be something straightforward like putting client work ahead of your own. If you get conflicting priorities, then try to estimate how long it will take you to finish them and start with the bigger one first (‘eat the frog’!). This will help with another attention bandit – procrastination. Spoiler alert – things always take longer than you think, so factor this into your estimate.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
3. Getting more understanding about how attention works.
Paying attention is a huge skill and it’s a muscle that definitely needs to be flexed. It’s about being able to recognise when your attention is being ‘stolen’ from the activities you have chosen to focus on and reducing your reaction to this. Maura Thomas explains that attention management comes in a range, from distraction, through to ‘flow’, with distraction being a block to that flow:
The one thing I’ve relearned this week is that focusing on one task at a time and devoting my attention to that one task, pays dividends, inching me towards ‘flow’. To achieve that, I’ve been:
Putting my phone away from the space I’m working in and having it set to silent, reduces that specific distraction and only having one task open on my desktop at a time (along with any related reference materials) reduces the temptation to flit between tasks.
Setting boundaries. Friends and colleagues are renegotiating their living spaces at the moment, with appointments being set for sharing computer time to allow for online schoolwork commitments and new workspaces created in hallways and cupboards. I’ve asked not to be disturbed and put in my headphones when I’m liable to be distracted by my environment. So far, so good.
Setting a timer. If you’re not used to focused attention, Thomas suggests putting on an alarm for 10 minutes focused work and gradually building that time up. I’m at 20 minutes at the moment, which fits with making sure I physically move away from my workspace.
4. When it just isn’t working.
Sometimes, even with alarms, boundaries and the best intentions, we can’t seem to avoid getting distracted. Here’s a couple of things I’ve tried to get my brain back in the game:
You’re struggling to stay focused, change tasks every 20-30 minutes. So, half an hour of the report you’ve been trying to write, 20 minutes of email and then 30 minutes of something else completely different. Keep your brain – and your attention – active
Change your environment. Go for a walk or open the window to get some fresh air and a different perspective. Focus on ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’
Pause to pay attention. One of the phrases most used by my mindfulness teacher, this helps us to be in the present, maintain perspective and stop our brains running away with all manner of catastrophes
5. Being kind to yourself and others.
These are not ‘normal’ times with home schooling, not being able to meet up with family and friends, finding work disappearing or equally, being snowed under with urgent and continuously shifting priorities, so concentrating more and finding whatever your new ‘normal’ is, could take some time.
Be kind to yourself.
This is all definitely a work in progress as I’m still struggling with distractions, but I’ll keep at it. What have you found that’s worked for you?