How to improve focus and performance

Productivity doesn’t happen by accident. Accomplishing all the things you need and want to do during your day requires planning, along with a continuous supply of motivation and focus.

It’s a fantastic feeling, crossing things off your to-do list and achieving everything you set out to do each day, but life doesn’t always go according to plan. Emails, phone calls, unexpected meetings at work or unplanned events at home can take you off course. So how do you stay focused and still maintain productivity when life gets in the way?

Maintain productivity by taking charge of your time and energy and focusing on what’s important and letting go of what isn’t. These tips can help you stay focused, improve performance and achieve what matters during your day.

How to improve focus: 7 Lifestyle hacks

• Seize the morning — For many people, mornings are their most productive time of the day. Try to wake up an hour earlier and use your morning hours to tackle your highest priority projects first rather than sleeping in, chatting to co-workers or sorting through emails. You’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment while other people may be still trying to gain focus.
• Identify your top three priorities — You will undoubtedly have multiple responsibilities to accomplish throughout the day but try and identify your top three most important tasks and work on these first. It’s been shown that having a written plan of action increases productivity¹. By the end of the day, you might not tick off every single item on your to-do list, but you can feel good about knowing that the most important tasks are completed despite unplanned meetings or interruptions.
• Learn to say ‘No’ — Since each day has a limited number of hours; it makes sense to spend these hours on your priorities. Using time wisely includes limiting your time to activities related to your goals. To do this, you may need to say “no” to some requests for your time. Saying “no” can be hard, everyone wants to be able to help colleagues or family when possible. But saying yes may prevent you from achieving something important. Finding the right balance between helping others and achieving your own goals can be challenging, but a necessary skill to learn to ensure you achieve your priorities.
• Schedule uninterrupted time — The constant ping of incoming emails or text messages can be a huge distraction and can make getting any real work done very difficult. Unless your job depends on checking your emails regularly, process your inbox every few hours rather than every few minutes. This goes for checking social media too. To be more productive, focus on one task. Multitasking is a misnomer because your brain can really only focus on one task at a time. When you think we are doing three things at once, your brain actually switches back and forth from task to task. In a 2006 study that used magnetic resonance imaging to document the activation of different parts of people’s brains, as they went from one activity to another, only one area was activated at a time. A “bottleneck” at a central area of information processing, was also identified which allowed only one thought through at a time.² It’s estimated that multitasking can reduce productivity by up to forty per cent.³
• Exercise — In older adults, aerobic exercise has been shown to improve task switching, selective attention, and working memory span.⁴ Exercise reduces stress and improves mood.⁵ Try exercising early in the morning in case you run out of time later in the day.
• Take time away from work — You might feel like you need to put in extra hours to finish all your work, but allowing time for rest and relaxation will, in fact, help make you more productive in the long run. Fully disconnect in the evening, and try to have at least eight hours of sleep every night. Also, make time for hobbies and personal pursuits.
• Eat well — If you eat a diet high in refined sugar and fats, you’re likely to feel sluggish and lack energy and motivation. Instead, nourish your body and mind with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein such as poultry and legumes, and healthy fats from fish, avocado, and raw nuts and seeds.

Good Vitamins and Nutrients for Support

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 relieves weariness. Sources of vitamin B3 include poultry, beef, fish, nuts, legumes and whole grains⁷.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 relieves fatigue and supports nervous system function. Sources of vitamin B6 include meat, fish, legumes, nuts, bananas and potatoes⁸.

Omega-3 fatty acids

In a systematic review of omega-3 fatty acids, ten randomised control trials showed positive outcomes on at least one of the following domains of cognitive function and memory. The review recommends that omega-3 fatty acids could be used to support cognitive function⁹. Sources ofomega-3 fatty acids include fish and other seafood, nuts and seeds and plant oils such as flaxseed oil¹⁰.

Herbal medicine support

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba is an ancient herb that helps to support memory and cognitive function. It supports blood flow to the body.

Brahmi

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is a herb that helps supports cognitive processes such as learning and information processing.¹² Brahmi is known in Ayurvedic medicine as a Medhya Rasayana herb.¹³

Exercising, reducing stress and planning your priorities can help you achieve your daily goals and improve mental performance. Eating well and using supplements for memory and cognitive function, will help support your performance during busy times.

References

[1] Schrager S, Sadowski E. Getting More Done: Strategies to Increase Scholarly Productivity. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2016;8(1):10-13.
[2] Schrager S, Sadowski E. Getting More Done: Strategies to Increase Scholarly Productivity. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2016;8(1):10-13.
[3] https://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask
[4] Guiney H, Machado L. Benefits of regular aerobic exercise for executive functioning in healthy populations. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 2012;20(1):73-86.
[5] Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L. Physical Activity, Stress Reduction, and Mood: Insight into Immunological Mechanisms. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2012;:89-102.
[7] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/
[8] Kennedy D. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review. Nutrients. 2016;8(2):68.
[9] Marti del Moral A, Fortique F. Omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive decline: a systematic review. Nutrición Hospitalaria. 2019;.
[10] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/
[11] http://cms.herbalgram.org/commissione/Monographs/Monograph0183.html?ts=1599112835&signature=5c7f31895771af4e0ef70787216f99ed
[12] Pase M, Kean J, Sarris J, Neale C, Scholey A, Stough C. The Cognitive-Enhancing Effects of Bacopa monnieri: A Systematic Review of Randomized, Controlled Human Clinical Trials. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2012;18(7):647-652.
[13] http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/issue91/HERBPRO_Bacopa.html