5 Negative Habits that Affect Your Focus and Attention

Many experts believe that most people don’t have time management issues but focus and attention issues. If you find yourself constantly getting distracted and chasing bright shiny objects at work, and you always seem to be lacking focus, then maybe it’s time to look at your ability to focus and to bring your attention to your most important tasks.

Here are five negative habits that could be affecting your ability to stay focused and have a great attention span. Do any of these bad habits impact you in your working life?

1. Not getting enough sleep.

Medical researchers have now proven beyond any doubt that sleep is a critical factor in a person’s health and productivity. I think most of us know intrinsically if we are getting enough sleep day today. If you’re not getting enough sleep, then there’s a good chance you are losing energy at work earlier in the day than you should be. Do you think you need to start getting to sleep a bit earlier or not watching television or your tablet for so long at night?

2. Not drinking enough water.

According to most experts, adults must drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day to stay fully hydrated. Do you drink enough water? One way to drink more water is to buy a larger water container. If you think having a 2 L water jug on your desk will look too ridiculous, then purchase a 750 ml water bottle and set a goal of emptying it twice during the day.

If you don’t like the taste of tap water, try warming the water up and adding a green tea teabag, apple cider vinegar and a dash of honey. Or, place a herbal infusion in the bottle.

3. Overloading on sugars and carbs.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where sugar and carbohydrates are almost everywhere. Again, most experts now agree that sugars and carbohydrates do not only contribute to lower levels of energy in the long-term but also weight gain. If you are not at your ideal body weight or lose energy and focus quickly during most work days, it might be a sign to visit your GP and talk to your doctor about your carb and sugar intake.

4. Being a slave to social media. This might affect younger people more than those who are a little older, but constantly checking social media, Twitter, Tiktok, etc., does nothing for our concentration and ability to stay focused.

Try not to touch your phone for at least an hour for 3 hours each morning at work. Set yourself a goal of being focused for 55 minutes at a time, and only after 55 minutes is up do you permit yourself to check your messages.

 If you find that you can’t go anywhere without your phone, or when you are without your phone, you start feeling anxious, then you may already be addicted to technology.

5. Not taking proper breaks.

There is a reason the law states you must have a morning tea lunch and afternoon tea break when you are at work. Although there will be occasions you feel you don’t have time to get it from your desk and have a break, this should be the exception rather than the rule. Working through lunch or eating lunch at your desk should not be seen as a badge of honour.

 Don’t think you’re a superhero. In fact, it’s quite sad that if on a regular basis you don’t take time to refresh, renew and re-energise.

 There are many physical and mental health benefits and standing up, going for a walk, walking outside and clearing your head during your break times. Taking your lunch to a lunchroom or somewhere other than your desk is an important way to detach from the tasks at hand.

In conclusion. How many of these bad habits are you guilty of? One? Three? Five? Or none? Kicking these bad habits isn’t just about improving your productivity and focus. It’s also about improving your health and happiness.