Concentration ideas requested!

19 Comments

1. Anne KrookAugust 30,2022 at 5:42PM UTC

   Get enough sleep, hydrate well, walk a bit every day if you can, and don't pressure yourself to concentrate right away.

2. AnonymousAugust 30,2022 at 5:51PM UTC

   Whenever I take a long trip, I never return back to work the very next day. I include a 2-3 day buffer to recover or return on a Friday so atleast I have the weekend to recharge.

   1st day: The 1st day back to work, is always spent getting caught up on emails and follow ups I could not get to while away, so I always only focus that day on getting caught up. No scheduled meetings if I can help it and leave my status on busy so folks get the idea. Also use that time to fill in the gaps of what might have been missed

   2nd day: Easing back into meetings. spend more time listening and asking questions to get spooled up if necessary.

   3rd day: By the 3rd day things are back to my normal.

   Overall: Structure your return to work in a digestible way so you dont feel like a whirlwind has been flung at you all at once. Pace yourself and its okay to decline meetings where you are not needed to spend more time filling in gaps while you were away.

   If your lack of focus is from cloud 9, designate a little bit of time sharing with others your experience. Show a brief slideshow over zoom as a treat to get it out your system. I am sure your colleagues would appreciate it.

3. AnonymousAugust 30,2022 at 6:21PM UTC

   What I do is address my jetlag first with plenty of sleep at an adjusted time meaning moving my sleep times very early the first evening then adjusting by an hour or 2 until it syncs with my current time zone.

   Also, I make sure to create a work environment that supports short bursts of concentration. I set my timer on my phone to 1 hour blocks, making sure to get out in the sunshine for little breaks to walk. This helps your body recalibrate with the sun's stages.

   Finally I only eat lightly upon my return so I don't tax my body with too much digestive work.

   Stay hydrated and you should be back to normal in a few days.

4. Megan LeasherSeptember 1,2022 at 12:29PM UTC

   I am definitely eating light right now. It's amazing how much that helps. Thank you!

5. AnonymousAugust 30,2022 at 7:25PM UTC

   I would definitely block out time on your calendar for the various tasks and things you need to take care of. You had a great trip and with jet lag etc you will not be feeling great unless you organize your approach to the return. I have heard sometimes you should take an extra "half day" off to just catch up on things so that people don't think you're available on your first day back.

6. Megan LeasherSeptember 1,2022 at 12:29PM UTC

   Taking an extra half day once returning...I really like that idea. Like a personal and professional reset time. Thank you!

7. AnonymousAugust 30,2022 at 8:13PM UTC

   Ugh it's going to sound cliche but prioritize what needs to get done first. If you have certain time sensitive things that need to be addressed right away, definitely look at those first. If there's nothing that's absolutely pressing, I like to go oldest to newest.

   Set blocks of time aside in your calendar. Say 10-15 minutes (or however long your concentration lasts) for email returns. Take a break--physically step away from your computer. Come back, do some other work that needs to be done. When your concentration on that starts to waiver, take another break and go back to your emails. Repeat the cycle as needed with frequent breaks.

   When you're on your breaks, try quick meditations or a 5 minute nap if possible. Just make sure that you're able to take a breath and relax. Work will always need to get done. So take care of yourself :)

8. Heather (she/her)August 31,2022 at 11:50AM UTC

   I play coffeetivity sounds in the background on my headphones and use a Pomodoro timer system

9. Megan LeasherSeptember 1,2022 at 12:28PM UTC

   Isn't Coffeetivity great?! I can't do silence. It's just enough noise.

10. Crystal HowellAugust 31,2022 at 12:36PM UTC

    Take a deep breath and read and respond one email at a time.

    Block time for your phone calls, leave on your vm I am accepting calls between these hours.

    Prioritize your desk, color code the stacks High, Medium, Low

    Save chit chat after work

    Good Luck

11. Kathryn MontbriandAugust 31,2022 at 12:55PM UTC

    I love a good 'work cave' when I really need to focus on something. Decide the length of your cave (20 mins, up to probably 50) and turn off all notifications, close email/slack, and just focus on one thing until it's done.

    At the end of the cave - give yourself a break for at least 10 mins where you actively do something different. Go on a walk, garden, pick up a book. Reset your brain.

    Then you can re-start in a new cave or attend to whatever is next on your to-do list!

12. Megan LeasherSeptember 1,2022 at 12:27PM UTC

    I like the idea of an active brain reset. Thank you!

13. AnonymousAugust 31,2022 at 3:38PM UTC

    First of all, I am allll the way here for a mission trip, especially, to South Africa! Sounds amazing.

    What helps me focus is:

    listening to lo-fi beats, nature sounds or brown noise focus music.

    taking breaks every 1 hr (no more than 7-10 mins or so; like refresh your tea/coffee; quick snack or just to stretch/ take a quick walk).

    If the focus work I'm doing is intense or I'm on a deadline, sometimes I use my lunch break to take a quick power nap (I've also taken naps in the car, if I'm working from an office) or use the time to do yoga/meditation. Sometimes a complete brain reboot is necessary to reground yourself.

    creating a focus block my calendar and pause email/SMS notifications during that time (I also put up a slack message too). My company started "no meeting Wednesdays and Fridays" (again) so folks can have that uninterrupted time to do actual work/make time for innovation.

    Outside of that, set your "deep focus work" boundaries and stick to them. I believe we're all guilty in not recognizing our own accountability in staying focused. We've got to hold ourselves accountable to see the focus work through! You've got this and good luck.

14. Megan LeasherSeptember 1,2022 at 12:27PM UTC

    Love the idea of pausing notifications! Thank you!

15. AnonymousSeptember 1,2022 at 3:12PM UTC

    You're welcome!

16. Kimberly EvansAugust 31,2022 at 5:27PM UTC

    Hello Megan,

    I would recommend trying out the Brain.fm app. It literally has sounds/music designed to focus and also relax, sleep, and meditate. When I need to concentrate on some heavy assignments, I use this app. It definitely helps me increase my productivity levels.

17. Megan LeasherSeptember 14,2022 at 3:03PM UTC

    Never heard of it! Downloading now.

18. Nicole DupuisSeptember 1,2022 at 1:15PM UTC

    Well, first off, your trip sounds amazing. So cool! And it is hard to come back from a trip like that and focus. A few suggestions:

    1) don't try to tackle it all day 1 or even week 1, take note of what the most urgent and most important tasks are and prioritize them

    2) take frequent breaks throughout your day, reminding yourself everything does not have the same urgency and you don't need to "make up" the time you were away

    3) have a list of each day's priorities and write it the day before so you have a clearer idea of what each day brings

    4) consolidate any meetings you have so you can actually have less meetings on your calendar and more time to catch up

19. Lisa McCartneySeptember 12,2022 at 6:09PM UTC

    I would go back more than the 10 days, maybe 13, and go through email and take notes. Prioritize them. tackle them slowly. If you can stay , do only what your body and brain will allow. Also see if you can either reschedule some of the meetings or if they are weekly ~ see if they can be skipped with someone else taking notes.