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Maybe it’s the frequently falling snowflakes or the walls starting to close in after nearly a year of COVID quarantines, but being easily distracted seems to a more common occurrence these days. Even as I draft this post, my mind has already wandered off to granola bars, coffee, the laundry in the dryer, and what the heck my kids are doing. (Deep breath. Focus.)

Have you found your mind wandering with greater abandon lately? Has it been tougher to hold tight to your train of thought? Well, you are not alone.

When I Googled “How to focus better,” the search produced about 2,890,000,000 results. Yikes! That’s A LOT of information on focus and why we struggle with it. Perhaps the fact that there are nearly 3 billion internet options tells us that we have too much at our fingertips. That abundance of information and distractions makes maintaining concentration confounding.

After searching a number of the 2,890,000,000 results, I found there were some very basic solutions to finding focus.

1. Set clear goals for yourself. List making and use of a planner can help with prioritizing your objectives.
2. Establish a productive place or patterns for productivity (Have a set music playlist or scented candle for times dedicated to focused work.)
3. Exercise. Physical activity increases brain function and energy.
4. Drink water. Hydration is key to all mental and physical functions.
5. Meditate or pray. Allowing your attention to be channeled into a quiet or controlled focus hones your concentration skills.
6. Sleep. Getting rest is the best way to restore your thought processes and physical abilities.
7. Minimize the distractions. Turn off digital notifications where you can. Get away from screen time when you can. Declutter your sleep and or work space. You can’t have a calm mind if your surroundings aren’t relaxing.

Hopefully, this post has been a positive distraction in your day. I also hope that you are able to return to your work or the task at hand and feel comforted in knowing that your easily-distracted state is not a solo endeavor. We all have to find ways to focus and keep our mental madness to a minimum. Whatever it is you are easily distracted by make sure it’s worthy of your attention. Your focus, heath, energy, and time are all worth forgetting all that other stuff. I encourage you to add some Intentergy to your efforts engaging your mind in productive and concentrated methods for making your mind maintain focus.

By: Melanie A. Peters

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