When you go through a difficult time, it can be so difficult to maintain, or if you lose it, regain your focus. And it’s definitely right to say that the current circumstances across the whole world are unsettling and challenging indeed. This pandemic has swept like wildfire and caused so many countries to implement drastic measures, the likes of which most of us have never experienced in our lifetime. It’s brought pain and suffering to many.
A lot of us are lucky enough that our only hardship is that we must stay inside our lovely homes, enjoy our gardens, and take a walk or run each day as we wish!! Yes, of course we miss seeing our friends and loved ones, that goes without saying, but in some ways it’s not so bad really, when you get down to it.
However, I’m most definitely not playing down the situation, as I, along with everyone else, have found these changes incredibly difficult. We’ve also seen amongst our community of small business owners that clients have been lost and times are pretty tough for lots of them. They have up days and down days that need to be navigated.
So how, with all of this going on, do you regain some focus and keep yourself motivated and moving forward? Here are our top tips:
Give yourself a break
This is essential. Sometimes when faced with challenges we can be inclined to keep telling ourselves what we should be doing. I’ve spoken to lots of people who now feel under even greater pressure to do so many things. Not only work projects and the day to day admin and tasks (not to mention increased household workload).
But there’s also a flow of posts on social media and from well meaning people about focusing on your personal development. Learning a new skill. Getting fit. Reading more books. The list is endless.
Don’t push it too much. Know what your limits are. Find a balance that allows you the space to grapple with everything that’s going on. The time to fulfil the work you want and perhaps need to get done. Some time for you. Some attention for your family. And by all means delegate! If things at home are getting out of hand and there are other bods in the house, dish out the chores!
Write everything down in lists
Along with the previous thought of giving yourself a break, writing lists is invaluable. By getting everything out of your head and down on paper, you allow yourself the option of not forgetting or losing ideas or tasks you want to focus on. You can create different lists or sections for different areas such as your self care, the home, for business. Then you can gain some clarity and focus when it comes to planning things into the time slots you have available as and when you feel you can focus. We use our Bullet Journals for this kind of thing, and it is a great tool right now to keep us focused and also a lovely mindful activity. We do have some virtual workshops coming up if you’re interested in starting a bullet journal – click here for more details.
Prioritise
What are the tasks that have priority and actually need to be done? Take notice of what you’re setting yourself up for. Look again at those lists once you’ve got them down on paper and have taken a break from the swirl of thoughts in your head. What do you want to do? What motivates and inspires you? When you’re thinking about regaining focus, pick out those tasks that have you feeling buoyant and focus on those first to get some flow going. Cross out anything that really doesn’t need to be done. Delegate anything you know you’ll never do and will just sit on your list.
Get up in the mornings and have a routine
When it comes to trying to regain your focus, this is sooooo important! It would be incredibly easy for many people to start being a bit sloppy!! I know we all appreciate a down day here and there, and perhaps even a day in PJs! But when it comes finding focus and cracking on, that doesn’t really put us in the right mindset! My advice would be to take a look at those lists. Then take a look at your days ahead. Decide what time you need / want to be up and go about setting a routine for the day. Have you always wanted to create a great morning routine? Maybe now is your opportunity. Curious about meditation and have some reading you want to do? Slot it in where you want it. When will you take meal breaks and connect with your family? When can you take your daily walk outside and get some fresh air? You’d be surprised how much impact the structure of a routine has on your focus.
Eat well
The tendency right now for many people is to graze your way through the day! For many that’s due to a lack of focus. As mentioned previously in regard to routine, look at where your meal times can be, and then plan what you will eat for meals and snacks. If it’s not on your plan, maybe you’re just bored and filling the time by eating! Eating well and hydrating yourself will help you so much when it comes to maintaining focus and concentration.
Stay connected
I think we’re all realising just how much we thrive from connection with others. It’s a huge challenge for some of us to only be able to connect online, and to go without those face to face interactions. However, thankfully we have so much technology at our fingertips, and now is definitely the time to take advantage of it. Staying connected to others, sharing thoughts and ideas, can really help you to gain clarity and work out your next steps if you’re feeling unsure. Whether you’re connecting with friends, family, colleagues, a networking community or a membership community like Tabono, keep talking and find ways to allow it to help you maintain your focus.
As a reminder, to help you stay focused we have regular co-working sessions, networking sessions and for our members we even have coffee breaks 3 times a week where they can come for ongoing support.
So what about you? How are you feeling as we all move through these difficult times? And what helps you to regain your focus?