13 Useful Life Hacks That Help You Stay Focused Longer

An hour is a long time to stay locked onto one thing. Somewhere in the middle, your attention starts to slip, and you blame yourself for being distracted.

Psychologists Atsunori Ariga and Alejandro Lleras tested another explanation in a 2011 paper in the journal Cognition. They had 84 participants do a repetitive computer task for about 50 minutes. As the task went on, most people’s performance dropped. But one group took two very brief breaks from the main task to recall some digits they’d been asked to remember, and their performance stayed steady for the whole experiment. The researchers proposed that the focus decline happens because your mind stops keeping the goal of the task active, which they call goal habituation. A brief switch turns the goal off and back on, which may keep it fresh. Lleras said he thinks attention isn’t a limited resource that gets used up, and that you start performing poorly because you’ve stopped paying attention to the task.

Some cautions. The task was simple and repetitive, the participants were in a lab, and the “breaks” were short task switches. I’m applying the idea to everyday focus, and that’s my own extension. The 13 hacks below are my own, built on that idea. I’ll flag the ones closest to the study.

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1. Break long work into blocks, and plan a brief pause inside each one

In the study, just two short interruptions over 50 minutes made a difference. You don’t need constant breaks. A pause or two in a long block may be enough.

I work in blocks of about 45 minutes now, with a short stop near the middle. That’s my routine, and it’s the closest translation of the study’s idea.

Try this: On your next long task, plan one brief pause halfway through.

2. Keep the pause short, a minute or less

The breaks in the study lasted only a few seconds. Long breaks have their place, and this trick is about a quick reset.

Look away from the screen, stand up, or answer a quick unrelated question. Then return. That’s my version of it.

Try this: Set a timer for the middle of your next work block, and take a one-minute pause when it rings.

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3. Say your goal out loud when you come back

The researchers’ idea was that you turn the goal off and on again. You can help the “on” part by stating what you’re doing. “I’m finishing the budget summary.”

It’s a small habit that tells your brain what to do. That’s my own idea, and it fits their explanation.

Try this: When you return from a pause, say or write one sentence about what you’re working on.

Sometimes the best way to keep your focus is to let go of it for a moment.

4. Write your goal at the top of the page or screen

A visible note keeps the goal active. Put it in a document header, on a sticky note, or at the top of your notepad.

It’s a cheap reminder you can glance at anytime. That’s my hack, and it’s saved me from wandering.

Try this: Before you start, write a one-line goal for the session and place it in view.

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5. Switch tasks on purpose for a minute, then come back

The study’s breaks involved a brief, different task. You can try a mini-version. Do a quick, unrelated thing, like answering one easy message or tidying your desk for sixty seconds, then return.

Keep it to something you can finish quickly. I’m extending the idea here, and it works for me.

Try this: Choose one quick, unrelated task to do as your mid-block switch.

6. Turn off notifications during your block

The pause should be your choice. A notification is a break you didn’t choose, and it may pull you away for much longer than a minute.

I put my phone on do-not-disturb during work blocks. It’s a simple change, and it’s my own habit.

Try this: Silence your phone and close extra tabs before your next work block.

7. Start with the hardest part while your goal is fresh

Your attention to a goal is strongest at the start. Use it for the most demanding step.

Save easier tasks for later. That’s my own sequencing, and it makes the first half of a block count.

Try this: Before each block, decide which step is hardest, and start there.

8. Use a timer to mark the start, the pause, and the end

A timer takes away the need to watch the clock. Set it for 25 to 50 minutes, or use two timers, one for the pause and one for the end.

The numbers are my suggestion. The study involved a 50-minute task, and you can adjust the length. That’s my method.

Try this: Set a timer for your next block, plus a halfway reminder.

9. Stand up and stretch on your pause

Moving your body gives the pause some extra value. Stand, roll your shoulders, and look out a window.

If you have an injury or health condition, check with your doctor about what’s safe. That’s my caution, and this is my own habit.

Try this: At your halfway pause, stand up and stretch for thirty seconds.

10. Drink some water at your pause

It’s easy to forget to drink while working. Keep a glass or bottle nearby and sip at your pause.

It’s a small habit that piggybacks on the pause. I’m not making any health claims, and I find it helps me remember to pause at all.

Try this: Keep water at your desk, and drink some at your halfway pause.

11. Remove the obvious distractions before you start

Decide what might pull you away, and handle it first. Put the phone out of reach, close unrelated windows, and let people know you’ll be busy.

Fewer distractions means fewer involuntary breaks. That’s my practical tip.

Try this: List three likely distractions, and remove one before your next block.

12. Match the pause to the task, since some work needs longer breaks

The study used a simple, repetitive task. Complex or emotional work may need longer breaks. Pay attention to how you feel.

If you’re stuck or exhausted, a longer walk or a real break is better than a short pause. That’s my advice, and it goes beyond the study.

Try this: After a hard block, take a real ten-minute break away from your screen.

13. Notice when your focus drops, and treat it as a signal

When you catch yourself drifting, don’t scold yourself. Reset the goal, take a short pause, and go back in.

Researchers like Lleras suggest that the drop isn’t a sign of being worn out. It may mean the goal has gone quiet. That’s his view, and it’s a kinder way to think about it.

Try this: The next time you drift, say “reset,” take a sip of water, and restate your goal.

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