How do you stay focused?

[countrigal]

As I've stated in prevoius posts, my office has a high stress environment where we are under production requirements to complete so many 'widgets' a day or risk losing our job.  Doing this gets a little old sometimes, as each one - though different - has a lot of similarities to the previous and next one.  Add to that, my job is to do quality reviews on those widgets done by other employees, so all I'm doing is looking at what they've done to ensure it meets requirements and not actually getting to do the work, and it gets boring fast on some days.  Today is one of those days where I've been fighting from the start to keep my brain focused on the work, to get my widgets done for the day, and am constantly struggling.  Job is good and challenging, but just having trouble focusing the mind like it needs to be focused today in order to ensure I do a good job...

So for my question... how do you stay/get focused when you've lost that focus?  Do you take a walk, get fresh air, visit with a collegue or friend, take leave, grab a drink, check out DD, what?  Perhaps I'll get some tips from how the rest of y'all refocus your energies, as I'm sure we have all had at least one day, in one job, where we've struggled with this.

[gee4]

Lost focus because the work is repetitive/boring/monotonous or because you are under pressure and busy?

Personally I thrive under pressure.  I've been bored for the past couple of weeks, but that's only because I am organised and up to date.  You never know when or where the next big job is coming from.

If I need a break to refocus for personal reasons, I might confide in someone.

http://www.deskdemon.com/dnet/index.php?topic=10303.0

http://www.deskdemon.com/dnet/index.php?topic=7987.0

Sounds like your job could be dragging you down...no variation.

[countrigal]

Thank you Gee, but that wasn't quite what I meant.  We all have those days, no matter how much we love our job, or how much variety it might have, where we just aren't as focused as we normally are.  Perhaps it's not a day, perhaps it's only an hour....

Anyway... when you can't keep your mind focused sitting doing your job, how do you re-focus or how do you handle this?

In a previous position, because I had such a myriad of jobs to do, I'd just jump from job to job, that way I worked a little on each one throughout the day and that helped me focus.  I could focus, just not for long lengths of time, and that helped.  I can't do that in this job, as I don't hae the variety of tasks to do in this one that I have had.  I used to, if it got bad, just take a "mental health day", to give myself the time to drift, to not work on work.  Perhaps I'd go sit at the park, or go home and nap, but it was not work.  Can't do that here... gotta get the widgets done, as we have to make up for those days we are gone.

I know that there are others out there who have experienced those days that your brain just doesn't seem to want to be at work... so how do you handle it???

[gee4]

Don't see any difference in what you asking.

[officepa]

Countrigal - yes, I agree we all have days (or parts of days) when focusing is hard on the job in hand. Nobody can escape this, it is natural.     

Some days for me it is because I have so much on my mind for issues out of work that it is hard to leave them behind when I walk in the office so while doing a job that doesn't take much brain power, my mind wanders off.

Sometimes this happens if I am proofreading a long document, all of a sudden I realise I have read 4 pages and don't remember any of it and have to do it again. This usually happens with jobs that are mundane but still have to be done.

I always make sure that I have a cold drink to keep hydrated as this really can make a difference when you are flagging.  Also, ensure office is not too hot - if you are able, a quick walk in fresh air wakens you up, once round the car park if nothing else.

Doing jobs in short bursts also helps but I would imagine you don't have that choice if you are under pressure to come up with the goods, so to speak.

I'd try and work out how long I can keep focused with no problem, then have a few minutes break away, then return a bit more refreshed. 

Hope this helps a little. Would be interested to see how other cope so I can put their ideas to the test.

[gee4]

That's what I asked...

"Lost focus because the work is repetitive/boring/monotonous or because you are under pressure and busy?"

Either way you find your own ways of dealing with it.  I only suffer from boredom nothing else.  When I am busy I don't see the time go by so I am nothing if not focussed.

Like I said I think your job sounds very mundane and mind-numbing - why else would you feel this way?  Perhaps it can be divided up or shared out, and you could take on different duties.

How many hours are you required to do this one task?  Do you have tea breaks, lunch breaks, time away from your desk/pc?

[countrigal]

Gee... it's not my job that is causing this loss of focus, or at least not always.  Somedays it's outside life staying on my mind, others it may be the monotony of the job (temporarily).  Normally I have no problem staying focused and getting my job done, but yesterday I struggled all day to get anything done right.  My  job isn't mundane or mind-numbing, normally I find it exhilirating and such a personal boost because of what each widget means to our customers, who are near and dear to my heart.  Can't divide it or share it, this is my job and everyone else has their job, based upon our specialties and though we work together, we all have our own widgets to move along.  As for your question about how long I do this... this is my job, so for 9 hours a day I do basically the same work, widget after widget (not making anything, just working with papers), with two 15 min breaks during the day and 30 min for lunch.  Other than that, I should be sitting in my cubby, doing my quality reviews and moving the widgets along.

But I don't think I've made myself clear.  I'm not asking for a solution for myself...  I am asking a general question, to all our posters and lurkers out there, to share with us how they handle those occasions when they are unable to focus on the task at hand.  OfficePA... you hit the nail on the head.... I'm trying to see how others do it in their work, to see if i can adapt any to work in my environment.  I like the ways that OfficePA has suggested, but know that there are probably as many different ways as there are different folks.  Perhaps someone uses a quick Yoga break?  Perhaps someone has a daycare in their company and they can go visit the kids there for a break?  Perhaps others take a break and go visit a gym to refocus?  Wanting to see how others handle these periodic mental "funks" where we are unable to focus, for whatever reason, on our job.

[msmarieh]

Sometimes I really struggle with this. My mind is often going a mile a minute with tons of things I need to work on (on the job, in IAAP, in Toastmasters, at home, etc.) and sometimes things intrude on my focus.

I find sometimes setting a timer helps - for the next 15 minutes I am going to only concentrate on "xyz" subject.

Also, creating a to do list of the things that are popping in my head can help. Once they are written down, it's like my brain relaxes and says "ok, she's not going to forget about such and such.".

Sometimes it depends on the reasons. For example, if I am upset about something and stewing over it so that I can't concentrate on the job at hand, I will sometimes go for a walk just to get away from my desk for a few minutes.

[gee4]

Sorry I don't suffer from this nor have time to not do my job. 

As I've said before, we work in a very fast-moving envirionment so everyone has to be on the ball, otherwise other element suffer.

Maybe you need some time off.

[countrigal]

Great tips MsMarieh!

Anyone else?? Come on... I know you all have your own ideas for handling this!!!!  Let your voice be heard!

[Sunflower]

Ok then - well don't have much time to post at the moment, but off the top of my head:

distract myself - either walk to the kitchen area, quick chat to a friend/colleague
shred shred and shred - I always seem to have so much shredding that if I can't concentrate on what I am doing, I go and do a pile of shredding - it gets my pile lower, I feel I am achieving something - even if it is not what I should be doing at that moment
like msmarieh - I give myself time limits - say I will work on X until 10am, get a cup of tea, then start Y at 10.05am - and be strict with myself (doesn't always work!)
the other thing I do - is awareness - when I am having one of my 'distracted' days, I just know that it is only today, tomorrow will be different - I guess acceptance of myself and that I am human
come on here or other non-work type sites - read forums, catch up with the new stories etc
having something good to look forward to after work - meeting a friend, cinema, exercise etc
if I am doing something mundane, I switch off the work side of my brain and think about something else - like a new recipe and what I need to buy, how I am going to cook it, what I might be doing at the weekend, how I am going to tackle a new task, start thinking about my next holiday (even if it isn't until near year!).

That's all at the moment, if I can think of anything else - or catch myself doing them! - I will come back and update.

[gee4]

if I am doing something mundane, I switch off the work side of my brain and think about something else - like a new recipe and what I need to buy, how I am going to cook it, what I might be doing at the weekend, how I am going to tackle a new task, start thinking about my next holiday (even if it isn't until near year!).

CG - are these the kind of things you find distracting?  Is this what you mean?

It seems for some these elements distract individuals from focussing on the job in hand, whilst for others, they are the distraction that individuals need to focus on the job in hand.

It would seem some relish distraction, others resent it.

[Jackie G]

find agree with Sunflower about shredding and find it quite therapeutic

[gee4]

We don't need to shred ourselves.  Confidential paper gets put in the confidential waste bin and is then taken away to be shredded.

[gee4]

Just wondered...

Is it focused or focussed?  Is focused the US spelling and focussed the UK spelling?