Confession: I’ve lost focus

Question

Here’s a typical day for me. I’m sitting in a meeting and there are virtual back and forth conversations between colleagues about their weekend. Before I know it, I’m distracted and not paying any attention to the conversation. This is now becoming a new norm for me. My distractions have taken a productivity toll and I’ve got to intentionally preactive to re engage… somehow! I’m looking for some inspo! How have you built coworker connections?

Stephanie Dalfonzo · Answer

Lots of great points already made.

I will share a tip that can help everyone with losing focus, zoom burnout and zoom fatigue. When you are in speaker view, click on the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner of your picture. You'll see a drop down menu with the bottom option 'Hide self view' - click on that and you will not see yourself anymore.  Our entire lives, we have only seen the person or people that we are speaking with. Now we are asking our brains to work harder by trying to process this new neural pathway.

Also, make conscious choices to keep coming back to the present by focusing on your breath. You can think 'I'm breathing in, I'm breathing out...'

Good luck!

Erica Falcis · Answer

If you're in a meeting, taking/typing notes is a really helpful way to stay engaged! That's what I do, especially when I find myself starting to tune out. I think it helps to also acknowledge that losing focus is normal and the solution can be as simple as implementing new tools to help you get back to focus (like note-taking). For whatever you catch from what the person is talking about, ask about it ('tell me more. Oh really? How did that make you feel?' You'll notice that simple probing questions like these may help jerk you back into the moment.

Anonymous · Answer

We have weekly girlfriend check-ins with others to talk about topics other than work! Also -- if possible I have participated in 'parking lot picnics' where we bring food and sit upon our cars in a parking lot for connectivity.  Just keep in mind that all will get better in TIME. God Bless.

Eliza · Answer

Breaks, breaks, breaks! There is nothing that beats getting outside, even for a few minutes. I also find that writing down specific tasks is very helpful for me. Otherwise, it is easy to go down the rabbit hole of outstanding items.

Something else I am going to try...scheduling fewer meetings! If it can be resolved over e-mail/MS Teams chat, why not. Meeting overload is a very real problem right now and anything I can do to give myself back a bit of time, I will!

Karisa Karmali · Answer

Time blocking and taking intentional breaks. It is not always about 'balance', but mental presence within each moment and task so that you only do a task once, and do not have to review it over and over.

Lisa · Answer

I find the timer method mentioned by Emily to be very helpful.  If I know I only have a set time I need to concentrate and then I can take a break, it helps to keep me motivated.  Taking notes definitely helps too, I sometimes do that when I am in a meeting on important topics but I am likely to zone out.

Sarah Hong · Answer

WFH for a long period of time can definitely make meetings feel more mundane. This may sound cheesy but we usually start off meetings with ice breakers so it's not the same 'what did you do over the weekend' conversation. These questions have helped us get to know each other better and build a strong bond.

Randi Levin · Answer

Focus in a time of chaos is challenging. Yet, relationships and connections have never been more important than right now. Instead of getting lost in the story of others and feeling like you need to react in some way, turn up your hearing. Really listen. Listen to what they are saying, but also listen to what they are not saying. Ask questions at the gap or intersection of this. Everyone needs to be heard and validated now, so break your conversations down to smaller groups or one-on-one connections and zero in on asking questions and being in the moment. It will help support you in being more productive in listening to yourself and in decision-making.

Maggie B · Answer

I've found that giving myself a very specific list of tasks has helped me focus.  Crossing things off is so satisfying.

Emily Kessler · Answer

Sorry to hear you’ve been struggling at work. I’d suggest digging down a little deeper to find out what else is going on.

- Are you losing focus in other areas of work, not just during virtual meetings? If so, try engaging in spurts of uninterrupted work. Set a timer for 25 minutes and turn off all notifications on your devices. Try to focus on that 1 task for 25 minutes then give yourself a 5 minute break.

- Are you losing focus during specific times of the day? It could be that you’re tired and need a quick break. Keep a log of when you’re feeling energized and when you’re feeling low. Try to schedule focused work during the times of the day when you’re energized, and do less focused, task-based work when you’re energy is low. Also, if possible, see if you can sneak in a 20 minute nap if you’re really tired. That will help to energize you.

- Could the video calls be the contributing factor to your lack of focus? Some people find it hard to engage with others using video conferencing technology. It’s hard to read body language and sometimes hard to hear. On a video call it’s more of a struggle to take in all the visual data we normally collect when we’re talking to someone in person. It can be very draining for some people.
https://introvertdear.com/news/why-zoom-calls-are-draining-for-introverts/
https://introvertdear.com/news/zoom-calls-introvert-nightmare/

If you can, write back with some more thoughts about what may be causing these issues and I may be able to point you in the direction of additional resources.

Stay well!

Confession: I’ve lost focus

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