Take Regular Breaks

It might sound contradictory but regular appropriate breaks can support you to be more focused and productive. After 90 minutes of intense focus on our work, we lose the capacity to stay focused and become slower or more distracted. It is a good idea at this point to take a break and a little change of scene if you can. Go to your kitchen and make a coffee, walk out into the garden and put your bare feet on the ground, or simply open the window and let in some air and watch the world go by.

If you are disciplined about the timing of your break and don’t make it so long that you lose motivation or get caught up in time-wasting activities, you will return to work fresh and ready to focus again. Try setting an alarm for a regular break and a time to make sure you don’t get distracted and take too long away from your desk. Adjust the timing of breaks to suit your attention span and whatever you find to be the most productive ‘sprints’ or ‘bursts’.