What is your personal key to more focus?
IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ♥
Consciousness
It’s not surprising so many of us feel fragmented and unfocused, when modern technology encourages us to constantly switch between tasks, diluting our attention. Blurred boundaries don’t help – when you’re available for work at all hours, even if it’s just reading emails, you’re stretching your ability to focus like an elastic band. It may feel like your only option is to work more to ‘catch up’, but all you’re doing is further undermining your focus.
If you’re always talking about how you feel overwhelmed and you want things to change, then something needs to shift to create a new period of focus and self-awareness. And sometimes the answer is far easier than we imagine, like simply paying attention to what is already there in our lives. Living more consciously can have a transformative effect on focus, and a simple way to start is by checking in with yourself at regular intervals to see if you’ve drifted into multitasking. Focus is like a muscle that we train – it won’t improve overnight, but you can start by putting boundaries on notifications, emails and anything else that competes for your attention. Push through the discomfort and wait for the transformation.
IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ◆ Connection
If you thrive on collaboration and relationships, you can start to feel adrift without regular input from like-minded others. Sometimes, we might not even have noticed when changes in our daily routine mean less contact with key people in our lives, or we may underestimate its impact. But deep down, you know you’re at your best when you have regular quality time with people who inspire you. You can cope just fine on your own, but you really flourish when you have the support of others to talk through ideas, share experiences or work out a way forward.
So it’s not surprising you find it hard to hold onto your focus if the balance has shifted towards more time spent alone, or with people who aren’t on the same page, or have too much of their own stuff going on. If, as a result, you find yourself lacking energy, feeling low or just questioning whether you are on the right path, it’s only natural you find it hard to focus. It can take time to work out what needs to change or what you really want, but you could start by prioritising more real-life interactions, spending time with people who ground you and, at the same time, make you feel like you could achieve anything.
IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ● Purpose
You can’t avoid change in life, and the turbulent feelings, emotions and responses that can come with it. But if you’ve lost sight of your sense of purpose, you might find life’s hurdles harder to tolerate, with a knock-on effect on your focus and motivation. You may find yourself baffled by the extremes of your thinking – one day desperate to start something new, the next, craving the security of familiarity. So it’s hard to trust your instincts and know you’re directing your efforts in the right place.
The key to regaining your focus is finding clarity on what’s really important to you. Sometimes, stepping off the rollercoaster with time away is the answer, giving you a chance to think big-picture. But if that’s not possible, small changes can also make a difference and help you focus on living a life that’s more in line with your values.
You can also boost your focus by shoring up your resilience and supporting your general wellbeing. Start by making a list of the things in life that you find soul restoring, whether that’s simply good conversations with friends, being outdoors or listening to music. Then make sure you create time in every day for at least one of these activities.
IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ■ Grounding
When life feels fragmented, it’s no surprise that frazzled can become your default mindset. After all, if you feel uncertain or like you’ve lost sight of your boundaries, you can find yourself spending all day in fire-fighting mode, with your nervous system permanently switched to ‘under threat’. The irony is that those daily habits that ground and calm us are often the first things we drop when our routine is disrupted. But relaxation isn’t a luxury for when life ‘gets easier’ and, in times of transition, or when you’re seeking insight about what really matters to you, it’s an everyday essential.
Time spent in nature, being active and connecting with friends all have a cumulative effect in creating a calm mindset. Remember, it’s not so much about creating calm, it’s about grounding yourself, and turning down the volume on your mental noise so you can connect with the calm that’s there inside. Of course, feeling calmer won’t instantly make life easier, but it’ll put you in a better place to work out what really matters to you. Start by thinking about how you can ring-fence some calm time every day, whether that’s through yoga, meditation or just a daily walk somewhere green. Then notice the change in the quality of your focus.