How can I achieve deep concentration at work?

Set clear and realistic daily goals.

The first trick to staying focused at work is to organize your day. You need to define the goals to achieve for better time management. To do this, make a list of tasks based on priorities. Highlight the most important tasks first, then the secondary ones. You can also group similar tasks together to maintain a constant work rhythm.

Whether you practice a liberal profession or work remotely or in a company, this tip will help you be more productive. However, you need to know your limits and set realistic goals to avoid being overwhelmed. Planning your day like this allows you to project yourself and prepare your brain to focus and efficiently process each daily task.

Organize your workspace

Your professional environment must be conducive to motivation and concentration. It must be calm, bright and well ordered. You must therefore tidy your desk every morning before you start working. Keep the bare minimum on the table and keep all the documents you will need to process during the day within easy reach. This tip will save you time and increase your productivity.

You should also take steps to reduce surrounding noise. If you're in an open space, we suggest finding an empty room to get some peace and quiet. Do this when you have an important task to complete.

Set up rituals to prepare your brain

The brain or memory retains specific associations made regularly. For example, when you make your bed at night, it understands that it's time to sleep and it rests. You can also use this trick to boost your efficiency at work. Create mechanisms that will tell your brain that it's time for it to focus. Your routine may consist of:

• drink a cup of coffee or tea,
• tidy your desk,
• listening to music or a podcast,
• doing a sport, etc.

There are many rituals to trigger a positive brain reaction, and they're unique to each person. When you find the exercise that makes you feel good, you'll be bursting with energy, and that will affect your mental capacity.

Schedule Deep Work sessions

Deep Work represents a state of deep concentration that allows you to perform complex tasks while providing excellent quality work. This exercise works the brain a lot, which means that it promotes the development of your cognitive abilities. According to Cal Network, the professor behind the concept, it is not beneficial to maintain this level of deep concentration for more than 4 hours. It can indeed create disturbances on your memory and cause burn-out in the long run.

To avoid this, you should schedule Deep Work periods. If you're trying this method for the first time, SeDomicilier suggests limiting your concentration time to 2 or 3 hours. After that, you can do other tasks or take a break. You can then start another session or wait until the next day. If you make this a habit, your brain will get used to it and your concentration span will increase. You'll then be more productive and more valuable to the company.

Eliminate anything that could distract you.

In a professional environment, many things can distract you and take you away from your daily tasks. You need to identify and eliminate them for better concentration. Digital distractions are generally the most frequent.

In a company, most employees constantly have their phones on. So, they're getting notifications from WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger, email, etc. Even the simple rings from these alerts can break your concentration. They'll spark curiosity and the urge to respond, which can make you lose your work rhythm.

To minimize distractions, we recommend turning off your internet or activating "do not disturb" mode. You can also keep your phone out of reach to resist the urge to use it. Wait until your breaks to check messages, emails, and calls.

Besides digital distractions, there are also colleagues or constant requests from your supervisor that can disrupt your concentration. In these cases, you need signals to indicate that you are performing an important task. This could involve isolating yourself, wearing headphones, etc.

Do the important tasks in the morning.

The best times to concentrate are generally in the morning, or in the evening for some people. When you wake up, you are full of energy and your brain is more efficient. Your memory is better able to collect and transmit information, especially if you have had a restful sleep.

If you have an important task to finish, do it in the morning. When you get to the office, avoid responding to social media messages before you start working. However, you can quickly check your professional email to see if there's anything urgent. This advice is helpful for both business owners and employees.

Some people are also very productive late at night. This time is also conducive to concentration because everything is calm, which promotes good thinking.

Adopt the Pomodoro method

If you're looking for a way to manage your time better, try the Pomodoro Technique. You can use it for work or anything else that needs focus. It involves setting a timer for 25 minutes and concentrating on one task.

Once the time is up, you're entitled to a 5-minute break to clear your head. The cool thing about this exercise is that you can set the work duration that suits you best. You can go up to 1 or 2 hours and then take a 15 or 30-minute break. So, you can use it to time your Deep Work sessions.