How many times do you start an important task and end up checking your phone or talking to your co-workers? In the current era of never-ending notifications, emails, and distractions, being productive at work and completing the tasks before the deadline sounds like an unattainable goal. As per the current statistics, an employee spent 2.24 hours/day on productive tasks whereas 1.82 hours/day on unproductive ones. From notifications on your cell phone to getting multiple tasks in between, there are tons of distractions that make it difficult to focus on a single task with full concentration.
This is where the focus time technique comes in. It allows everyone, from workers and managers to business owners, to block distractions and dedicate a particular amount of time to a specific task. High-focus time improves productivity, work quality, and output while saving a significant amount of time and effort that would otherwise be spent on unimportant activities. In this blog, we are going to discuss focus time, how to track it, and some effective ways to improve it to enhance efficiency and quality of work.
What is Focus Time - An Important Time Management Technique
Focus time, also known as deep work time, is a dedicated interrupted time block that allows employees to concentrate exclusively on a high-impact or important task. In other words, a focus time is an uninterrupted time given to one specific task without getting distracted by any other thing like notifications, multitasking, scrolling, chatting, etc. In this, there are no chats, calls, meetings, scrolling, social media, other tasks, gossiping, etc., allowed - it is 100% distraction-free.
This is crucial for productivity as it allows for deep work, where employees can concentrate intensely on complex tasks that require complete attention and focus. This time management technique leads to high-quality output due to high productivity and enhanced performance.
For example - Application developers use a focus time of 85 minutes to write code for a new feature. They eliminate all distractions, set clear goals, and prepare their workspace to indulge in that specific task only. They set up a time tracking tool like Toggl to track time and Stay focused to block other notifications during that time block. This allows them to complete the task within the decided time frame while ensuring high quality and accuracy.
How to Track Focus Time - Traditional and Digital Methods
“The average worker spends more than 2.5 hours daily on social media.” This stat raises the need to set and track focus time to reduce time wastage at work. Tracking focus time gauges progress and improves both work quality and productivity. When you are not distracted by other things, you can perform much better due to high focus. Explore effective methods for efficiently tracking your focus time.
Traditional Methods for Tracking Focus Time
- Manual Logs: Keep a physical journal or spreadsheet in which you record the start and end timings of focused work sessions along with noting any distractions. Find out for how much time you can stay focused on a single task.
Timer: This is the most straightforward method for tracking focus time. Use a timer, and when you finish a session, note how much work you completed in the time period without involving yourself in any other activity. Strive to accomplish as much as you can before distractions take hold.
- Pomodoro Technique: This is an extension of the simple timer method. In this approach, you allocate 25 minutes for concentrated work, followed by a 5-minute break. During these 25 minutes, it's crucial to focus entirely on one task until the timer signals the end. After that take a 5-minute break and start the 25-minute timer again. Repeat this three times, and after the fourth session, take an extended break.
- Day Theming: For big and lengthy projects, day theming is an excellent technique for tracking focus time. Target a particular focus or task for each day of the week and track progress at the end.
Digital Tools for Tracking Focus Time
- Toggl: Toggl is a simple time-tracking app that tracks how much time you spend on different tasks or projects. It even sends alerts and suggestions when the timer runs, but your computer stays idle. This helps you stay focused and complete the tasks on time.
- Rescue Time: This app operates in the background and tracks the time spent on various applications and webpages, providing insights into your focus habits and internet surfing. It even blocks all distracting websites, such as social media sites, during your focus time and tracks how well you are in focus.
- Clockify: It is a free time tracker app that allows you to record time you spent on different tasks and projects. This helps you analyze where your time goes during focus work periods and minimize time wastage.
- Stay Focused: This Chrome extension helps you manage your time online by limiting access to distracting websites. It even blocks such distracting websites and helps you focus on what’s important.
- Forest: It is a productivity app that encourages focus by growing a virtual tree when you focus on your work and making it die when you leave the app for other distractions. This helps you visualize your progress and focus time and stay motivated.
How to Improve Focus Time and Stay Concentrated
Distraction kills productivity, and therefore, it's crucial to stay focused and concentrate on one task at a time. There are certain ways through which you can improve your focus time and stay concentrated for a longer period. Some of them are:
Manage Distractions
To stay focused, it's important to embrace the quiet and eliminate all the distractions. To do that, turn off notifications on your phone and computer. Use applications like Stay Focused, Forest, or Rescue Time to block distracting websites and ensure higher productivity. Besides that, keep your mobile on silent mode during focus time and avoid getting into social media scrolling and chatting. Make a habit of checking your phone in between to see if there is some important message.
Set Clear Goals
Before setting the focus time, define what exactly you want to achieve during that time period. Establish clear goals, prioritize your tasks, and divide complex activities into smaller, manageable segments. The simplest method is to make a to-do list of every task you want to complete during your focus period and check off each one as you finish them. This instills a sense of accomplishment while keeping you on the right track.
Start Small
If you are just starting out, creating a 2-3 hour focus time is pointless as you won't be able to do that in the first go. Therefore, stay practical and start small with 30-minute sessions followed by 5-minute breaks. During these 30 minutes, stick to your work without giving in to any distractions. After the 30-minute focus time, check your phone and email to see if there is any important message or call. As you get better in focus, increase your focus time from 30 minutes to higher.
Take Distraction Breaks
Short breaks are important for maintaining high levels of productivity; therefore, make sure to take short breaks after completing each focus time session. For example, when you follow the Pomodoro technique, you get a 5-minute break after every 25 minutes of the focus work session. During that distraction break, you can simply take a walk, talk to a colleague, chat with a friend, check email, grab a cup of coffee, etc. This helps you avoid burnout and recharge your mind as well as check if there is any urgent message.
Avoid Multitasking and Context-Switching
Multitasking and content switching both include doing multiple tasks at a single time, which reduces efficiency and concentration. Context switching means jumping from one task to another in between and disturbing your current workflow. They basically increase the chances of errors, reduce your concentration, and hamper the quality of your work. Therefore, when you set focus time for a particular activity, do not indulge in everything and focus on the specific task and engage actively in it only.
Set a 'No Meeting' Period
To improve focus time, set a no-meeting period in your day during which there will be no meetings or work calls for any purpose. To do that, choose the time in the day when you remain most productive, determine the duration, block that time, and share the work details with the manager. When the no-meeting period ends, share the positive impacts with your seniors and prove how undisturbed focus time leads to high-quality work in minimum time.
Use Time Management Techniques
Along with keeping your mind focused organically, you can use time management techniques to minimize distractions and stay focused. Use techniques like Pomodoro, where you set a 25-minute focus time followed by a 5-minute break. Besides that, digital time management tools such as Forest, Toggl, Rescue Time, etc., can be used to eliminate notifications and time spent on other websites and increase focus on important task.
Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Practicing mindfulness and meditation can enhance your ability to focus on a single task for extended periods, improving concentration and attention. This includes deep breathing, relaxing, meditation, etc., that improve cognitive abilities, including focus and concentration. You can even practice these techniques during distraction breaks to start again with a fresh and focused mind.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can state that setting a focus time is the best way to concentrate on a single task and complete it with full focus and dedication. This eliminates distractions and unproductive hours from your work, therefore keeping you on time while ensuring the highest work quality possible. Use traditional techniques such as timer, manual logs, pomodoro, and day theming, as well as digital tools like Toggl, Forest, Clockify, etc., to avoid notifications and distractions. Lastly, follow the effective ways we have discussed above to improve your focus time and maximize productivity and efficiency.
