How to Stay Focused at Work

By: Wieke von Scheidt

Why do people have trouble staying focused?

Staying focused eight hours straight every day is a goal that most people strive for, but no matter how hard we try, it is impossible. Why? Experts say that the average attention span in adults is between 20 and 40 minutes.

Even though our preferred goal is to stay focused for eight full hours a day, our brain is not developed to function that way. The opposite often occurs when we try to stay on task for a long period of time – that is, we get easier distracted. Market research firm uSamp found that 53% of people waste at least one hour a day due to all types of distractions. Collaboration tools that are supposed to increase productivity at work, continuous noises, overflowing email inboxes and the frequent feeling of being fatigued, let our minds keep wandering off.

In addition to the loss of hours, our body takes a toll when trying to work without proper breaks. People often turn to coffee to keep from getting tired, this can lead to sleep insomnia. According to the National Institutes of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders. In order to function properly adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day. Many don’t get the necessary amount of sleep needed and it starts affecting their concentration. So, what can you do to maintain the level of concentration you need to get all your work done?

 

Frequent Breaks

Studies show that taking frequent breaks helps to increase focus and productivity tremendously. Many employees don’t take enough breaks during the day, some don’t even take any at all but that doesn’t seem to increase the amount of work they get done. People that don’t take breaks tend to get distracted easier than people who break frequently.

Draugiem Group, a social networking company based in Latvia has demonstrated this by using an app called DeskTime. Employees were to work for 52 minutes and then take a 17 minute break. During this break employees did things completely unrelated to work and without the use of electronics, like going for a walk, chatting with co-workers, or reading a book.

The problem is that many fear to appear lazy or unproductive. It is important that employers support this method and show their employees that it is ok to take these breaks. In the end the whole organization will benefit from this approach.

Move Around

If you have the ability to exercise during your breaks, do so. It’s been proven that moving around will increase concentration levels – even if you just go for a walk outside. Dr. John J. Ratey a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School explained how a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is released, which plays a role in the improvement of cognitive health. The image below shows best the level of activity in the brain of a person in a serenity state versus a person who has been active for 20 minutes.

Photo Credit: Brain Scan

 

In addition to what happens in the brain, exercising regularly benefits the whole body – leading to lower health risks.

 The Right Nutrition

Nutrition can make a significant difference on concentration capacity, especially when consumed at the right timing. A study by the International Labor Office shows poor diet can impact up to 20% of work productivity. It is very common that office cafeterias don’t offer a balanced meal selection. In other cases employees only have 30 minutes and run to the next Fast Food restaurant. Some may underestimate the importance of the right nutrition and their connection to mental and physical functions. Of all nutrients water is probably the most important; studies have shown that not drinking enough water will not only dehydrate your body but also decrease your level of focus and short-term memory. Other foods that increase energy and concentration include blueberries, fish, avocado, green tea, and dark chocolate.

 Make a To-Do List

Making a to-do list is one of the most effective ways to get work done and stay on tasks. However, many seem to struggle creating a list and following it. There are too many distractions during the day that keep us from staying focused. Making a list will not only help you stay organized but also help finish the work you intended to do. Here are a few tips on how to write and follow the to-do list effectively.

 

•  Write Your to do list the night before

Writing your to-do list the night before will save you time and energy, which you will need in the morning to be most productive.

 

• Get out your calendar

Take a look at your calendar, check appointments that are coming and determine what you need to for these meetings.

 

• Prioritize

Make a random list of all the things you have to get done and then prioritize, listing the most important tasks first.

 

• Check your emails

Check your email inbox when you arrive at work. Set a timeframe, like 30 minutes to read and respond to emails. After that don’t check it again for at least an hour or until you finished the first important task on your to-do list. Checking our email inbox is one of the most distracting things that keep us from focusing.  As soon as we open our inbox we see an important email and feel the need to respond to it. Before we know it we will respond to the next, and the next, and the next, until we forget what we were actually concentrating on.

• Set a Realistic Time

Setting a realistic timeframe is often difficult; people underestimate the time they really need to finish a task. So, be realistic and add an extra 30 minutes if you are unsure. It is better to have more time than to feel rushed. The same applies to emails, decide on how often you want to check your emails and set aside a certain time to respond to them.

• The end of the day

Before you leave go over your to-do list and make sure you finished everything. Then start your new list for the following day.

 

Take Clarex

Especially in the afternoon people tend to get groggy and crash easily. If that’s the case you should try Clarex. Compared to caffeine containing beverages it will keep you focused without the crash effect. If you do prefer to drink coffee you should try to drink it in the morning only. Generally, caffeine stays in your system for about 5 to 6 hours before it starts to wear off. Drinking coffee early in the day will decrease the chance of insomnia later on at night. Clarex will also help prevent caffeine jitters that tend to plague many coffee consumers.

Overall people’s ability to stay focused is limited. Scientists have proven that the human brain can only concentrate for a short period of time like up to 52 minutes. It is just a matter of us learning how to be more productive by taking frequent breaks, moving around, staying organized, making lists etc. There are many ways one can return to a good level of focus and the ones above are only a few.

 https://sleep.org/

http://www.fastcompany.com/3035605/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-work-every-day

 

Forget Your New Year’s Resolutions – Set a Long-Term Goal!

By: Antoniya Nemtserova

Every New Year’s Eve we pick some of our negative habits and tell ourselves that this is the year to get rid of them. We wake up enthusiastic on January 1 and start working on kicking that bad habit to the curb. As the months go by people tend to become lazy again and eventually that once mentioned goal verges to oblivion until the following Year. Why is that approximately 40% of Americans share this common goal of trying to improve themselves and why is it that according to University of Scranton only 8% of them actually achieve their goals?

Don’t Overload Your Brain with numerous small and too complicated scenarios for achieving as many small and insignificant goals. Sit down and think seriously what is that single goal, that once achieved would make you truly happy, proud of yourself, and a step closer to your perfect self. Think hard. Make a list. Pick the one and take off. Remember, it is your satisfaction and elevated confidence at the end that is the real ultimate goal of this exercise.

Setting goals is always exciting and motivating, at least in the beginning but the success rate of achieving that specific goal often tends to plummet depending on how vague or immense it is. The pitfall of the excessively complex goal is it may turn into an allegory of unreachable happiness – so close and yet never close enough. A goal whose progress of achievement we cannot measure nor relate to on a daily basis. It is rather detrimental for both, our levels of satisfaction and perspectives for success. That’s why it is better to be specific; instead of promising ourselves to lose an unspecified amount of weight this year, we should decide on how often a week we will go to the gym or how many pounds we want to lose each month.

Quitting smoking is another popular resolution, which is almost impossible to achieve if we don’t realize that making small steps toward it is still progress. It is easier to promote ourselves by cutting in half the number of cigarettes we smoke per day and feel winners, rather than quitting cold turkey.  Saying “I am not going to smoke ever again” will later leave us feeling miserable because we couldn’t keep up with our overrated promise.

Rather than setting a vague goal, be specific! Make baby steps and turn your goal into a habit which is an achievement in itself and eventually can become a long term success.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

 

Enterovirus D68: How Can You Keep Your Children Safe?

By: Wieke von Scheidt

With the start of the Fall season the flu is not the only highly contagious disease we need to worry about.  People are getting  increasingly concerned about a virus, called Enterovirus D68 that is slowly making its way from state to state. Parents are particularly worried because it affects children more often than adults.  The symptoms start out with a mild cold to later become more severe, affecting children’s respiratory system.

What is it?

Enteroviruses have been around for a long time, usually causing colds, fever, headaches, vomiting, and rashes in addition to other symptoms. EV-D68 is an unusual strain causing more severe symptoms such as wheezing and difficulty breathing. This may cause particular concerns for parents with children who have lung problems or asthma because it is harder to recognize. In some cases kids had been hospitalized because they required mechanical ventilator in order to breathe properly. The Center of Disease Control is paying close attention to the development of this virus.

How can you get it?

D68 is spreading like many other viruses through body fluids, like saliva, nasal secretion, as well as other kinds of interactions. The time of year Enteroviruses seem to affect more people is in the Summer and the numbers decrease in the Fall.

How to protect yourself?

• Keep away from sick people
• Wash hands often with soap and warm water for about 20 seconds
• Don’t put backpacks, purses, jackets or other items on restroom floors and counters.
• Pack reusable water bottles instead of using public water fountains.
• Carry hand sanitizer with you
• Don’t share bottles, and utensils
• Wipe down surfaces with disinfectant wipes
• Avoid hugging and kissing while being sick

How to treat it?

There is no vaccine or specific medication to treat Enteroviruses. All that can be done is to relief patience of symptoms through mechanical ventilators, and over-the-counter medications for pain and fever. Therefore it is important for parents to take be cautious and take preliminary actions to avoid infections.

For more detailed information visit Centers of Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/index.html

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protecting-children-enterovirus-d68-201409227455

http://childrenshospitalblog.org/what-to-know-about-enterovirus-d68/

http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/ev-d68.html

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Happy Father’s Day

How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

By Wieke von Scheidt

www.sarabozich.com

Summer is almost here, or at least we hope it is. This is the time of year when many take vacation to travel, and relax. Kids have long breaks and parents can use up some of their vacation days. If you are traveling this summer it’s a good thing to know some ways to stay fit. Health is something that is often forgotten while traveling. On your next trip try to keep some of these tips in mind.

Explore the Area

Before you travel, plan your trip. Buy a map or a travel guide with interesting places to visit. Once you get to your destination be sure to get out of your accommodation at least once a day and walk around outside. Going for a long walk, whether you are exploring the city, or strolling along the beach is a great way to relax the mind and keep your body going. If it’s raining you can visit museums, shopping centers, or other indoor places that allow you to walk around.

Eat Healthy

While on vacation it is always easy to just get a quick meal from any fast food restaurant, but it is better to take an extra five minutes to bring your own meal. It will also be better for your wallet. For the little hunger in-between you can pack snacks like apples, bananas, and my personal favorite, granola bars. If you still decide to go out to eat choose a restaurant that serves a variety of good foods and make sure to get some vegetables with your meals.

Be Active

Many hotels have amenities such as gyms, swimming pools, tennis courts, and so on. Even if the place you stay at does not offer any of these services, get creative. If the weather is nice, plug your headphones in and go out for a run, hike, or rent a bike. This is also a great way to explore the area.

Take the Stairs

If you stay in a room that is a couple floors up, and not all the way in the sky consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Have you been sitting all day, or spent a lazy day lounging by the beach? It will feel good to walk some stairs and maybe stretch. Anywhere you go you will probably find stairs, so make it a habit to use them.

Bring a Workout DVD

In case your hotel does not have any amenities you can always bring some workout DVDs and exercise in your room. Many hotel rooms have DVD players, or you can just bring your own laptop. This is a great way to get a quick workout in, especially if you don’t like exercising around people.

Vacations are a wonderful time to disconnect from our busy lives and truly relax. This does not mean you should take a break from your healthy lifestyle you normally follow. If you are used to working out and staying fit, don’t blow all that hard work by skipping it completely during your vacation. And if you love staying active it should not be a hard task to keep it up while traveling. Do you have any tips on how to stay fit and healthy while traveling? Share your tips and tell us how you stay active below, on our Facebook, or Tweet us.

CLAREX in the Classroom

By Stephanie Slicis

As any student or former student knows, it can be difficult to stay on task in class. Distractions could be caused by learning a hard topic, monotone teacher, or even the pretty bird right outside the window. We’ve all been there, don’t deny it.

However long you are distracted for, you will miss something that could be fundamental. One second off task could create one confusing hour of trying to catch up. Here are some tips that will help you stay focused no matter how many birds are outside your window.

1. Be Well Rested

I know, I know, you have heard this advice countless times, but it needs to be reiterated. Our schedules are constantly busy and it seems like sleep is the first thing we sacrifice to get our other tasks done.

Planning your day ahead of time will allow you to arrange making time for sleep. If some of the things on your agenda do not get accomplished, evaluate how crucial it is to get them done that day. Can it be done tomorrow? If so, pour yourself a relaxing cup of decaf tea and then head off to bed.

1. Be Energized

Yes, this can be done by getting more sleep, but it also involves preparing your body for the day. Make sure to have a full breakfast or lunch before your classes to ensure that you are storing energy.

I would not recommend going to the local coffee shop on or off campus before class. The caffeine can become addictive, which will cause you to consume more just to get you through the day. Another negative about coffee is the countless bathroom trips you might have to take. More trips outside the classroom create more important information missed.

I would however recommend finding an alternative method to get energy through vitamins and dietary supplements. CLAREX is the perfect choice in this case because it is an all-natural supplement that sustains your energy all day. It also formulated to keep your brain focused in alert.

1. Be Engaged

Remaining involved in the discussion will not only increase your understanding, but it will keep you focused.  Answer or asking questions, reading along, and even just nodding your head toward your instructor will increase your productivity.

Idle time is when your mind can wander and lead you off course.  One minute your are listening attentively, and then you begin to think about your other work you have due, or what you are going to wear this weekend. Remain in the conversation and the topic at hand, so you don’t allow idol time.

1. Be Prepared

Every class length is different, and some might be over two hours long. A lot can happen in a two hour span, and you need to be prepared so that you can stay focused. I always make sure that I have a snack in my bag in case I get hungry. There is nothing worse than being hungry in class and being insanely jealous of the girl two rows in front of you that happily snacks away on her various treats. Packing your own snack will ensure that you stay active in class, instead of imagining what her food tastes like.

Your bag also needs to be appropriately packed for class. I always recommend to bring more than one writing utensil and to always have highlighters. Notes are fundamental to doing well in a class, and you do not want to miss any because your pen broke, or you forgot to highlight the important section.