Wrap-up: Seven essential tips for great mental focus

The Economist has called focused, deep work “the killer app of the knowledge economy: it is only by concentrating intensely that you can master a difficult discipline or solve a demanding problem.”

Intriguingly, it all comes down to just one focus bout of 60-90 minutes. How we prepare, spend and embed that bout can make or break our day.

Similar to my wrap-up on mental energy, today’s wrap-up of my seven essential tips on mental focus shows how. I've provided links to my respective posts for those of you who would like to delve deeper into specific tips. Here we go.

1) Do your focus bout when your mental energy is highest
Determine your chronotype by taking the Automated Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. If you’re a morning lark or intermediate third bird, schedule your bout of focused work early in the day. If you’re an evening owl, block time for focused work later in the workday.

2) Make sure to minimize distraction from technology and co-workers
Minimize distraction before you begin. Regarding technology, do online research upfront and turn off the internet on your computer (most notably e-mail and group chat) as you start. Likewise, turn off all notifications on your smartphone, and put it out of reach. Regarding co-workers, use hideaways, both physical (e.g. a quiet room or desk) and mental (noise-canceling headphones).

3) Understand the three phases of mental focus
Remember that just as we can’t get into deep sleep immediately after lying down, we can’t get into deep focus right after sitting down. Instead, we go through three phases over 90 minutes: Struggling towards focus (for 10-15 minutes), getting into focus (and flow) (for 45-60 minutes), and finally hitting the focus limit (for 10-15 minutes).

4) Use visual focus, timers and reframing to transition through these phases
Three tips help you get through the three phases well. First, leverage visual focus by deliberately restricting your gaze to the screen, and try not to look elsewhere. Second, get past your initial resistance by using timers: Upon starting your focused bout, set one to 30 minutes, and decide whether to add another 15 to 60 more minutes after that. Third, reframe the feeling of strain (also called limbic friction) by reminding yourself that it is a sign of your brain getting ready to solve the problem at hand. 

5) Use micro-breaks to make progress and sustain your focus
When you struggle to wrap your mind around a complex issue or experience a sudden surge of limbic friction, take a micro-break: Either do nothing for 10 seconds, or look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 

6) After focus bouts, defocus strategically
When ultimately entering the third phase of hitting the focus limit, end your focus bout for good and take a mingle break, movement break, or combination of the two. Do so for at least 7 to 20 minutes.

7) Make sure to take replenishing lunch breaks
Great lunch breaks have two key ingredients. The first is control: Have your lunch break at times, places and with colleagues that you like. The second is detachment: Get away from your desk and try not to talk about work during lunch – at least not all the time.

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Until next week,Christian