Friday Coffee with MAP – October 18, 2024

Hello , and welcome to Friday Coffee with MAP!

Feeling distracted or unproductive is all too common an experience for many of us, and it is often accompanied by stress and guilt. We curse ourselves for our sluggishness, and try to push through it– often to no avail. This week’s piece reassures us that periods of challenged focus are completely natural, and offers three practical brain hacks to boost productivity without self-criticism. Importantly, the piece also emphasizes that successfully regaining focus and productivity involves prioritizing our own well-being.

Happy reading!

“3 Brain Hacks For When You Can't Focus at Work”
_{by Leah Borski for Entrepreneur}

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As scientific knowledge of the brain improves, so does our understanding of both productivity and wellbeing– and how they are related.

Distractions are impossible to completely evade, but using the three hacks below, we can minimize the wandering of our minds and stay focused- without feeling like we are bowing to unceasing pressure to perform.

Brain hack #1: Unfocus– Though it may be counterintuitive, the worst thing you can do when you detect that you’re feeling unproductive is to will yourself to work through it. In fact, a recent University of Sydney study shows that a short five-minute break from thinking is all we need to get our concentration back.

Importantly, this does not mean: “take a break by scrolling on your phone.” No: you have to rest your brain. Rather than taking a break by jumping from app to app, meditate, take a walk, stand up and stretch, or do a task around the house in order to give yourself a restorative mental break.

Brain Hack #2: Go with the (neurochemical) flow–  If you struggle to focus at work, it's critical to understand the circadian rhythm, which governs our sleep patterns. Our melatonin spikes in the brain at night and at midday. The former helps us sleep at night, the latter causes that familiar afternoon grogginess. It is too common to push ourselves to overcome this natural low-energy period, but that can lead to burnout and added stress. Allow yourself a break during this midday down period. Your productivity will return after a break.

Brain Hack #3: Task Buckets – write a list of all of your tasks, and sort them into "easy" and "challenging" buckets. On low-energy or “unproductive” days, start with tasks from the “easy” bucket to build a sense of accomplishment, and to counter the feeling of needing to “earn” a break. This approach often shifts focus and motivation, making it easier to tackle “challenging” tasks afterwards.

Curt Steinhorst, author of Can I Have Your Attention?, wisely observed, “Distraction is actually just confusion about what matters.” Productivity and wellness are closely intertwined. We should never let the pursuit of productivity come at the expense of our well-being, because in the long run, that’s what matters most.

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So tell us: We would love to hear your tried and true methods for refocusing when concentration becomes difficult!

We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you,

The MAP Team

10345 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 110
Los Angeles, CA 90064
OFFICE: 310.601.4095
FAX: 310.388.5484
WEB:www.mapstrategic.com

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