5 Simple Life Hacks That Can Help Improve Your Focus

There are days when my ADHD makes it difficult to get things done. Due to my lack of focus, working online is one of my favorite things. Yet even working online can be difficult for me some days. As a result, I rely on a few simple life hacks to stay focused and accomplish my tasks. 

For Example:

I have tons of notebooks that I use specifically for my to-do lists. The notebooks were a disorganized mess at one point in my life because I hadn’t checked off the items on those lists in quite some time.  I had no strategy in place because I would get overwhelmed just thinking about what I do need to get done on my lists.  It took me years to get used to writing down anything but my story ideas because I always had a habit of associating a to-do list with a schedule, something I truly loathe. 

But not long ago, I came across a blog post from one of my favorite entrepreneur inspirations, Richard Branson.

In his post, he talked about how he uses labeled lists to get things done, so I thought, if this was the kick in the pants I need to help me focus, then let’s do this! I realized that once I labeled my to-do lists, I was motivated, and my mind stayed focused on the goal in sight!

Of Course:

There are still moments when my ADHD wants to fight back, and all I want to do is absolutely nothing! But being unproductive doesn’t pay the bills, so I will put on my wireless Monster headphones and play motivational music. 

Chill Music Lab, an independent digital music label I recently discovered, creates mind-blowing playlists of music videos from independent artists whose work deserves recognition as well as some stunning graphics featuring famous movie characters.

The videos give listeners looking for motivational music for their workday a chance to visually feel like they are working side-by-side with their favorite character.

For example, two of my favorite videos from Chill Music Lab’s collection are Work Music — Superhero Mix for Concentration and Music for Productive Work — Tony Stark's Concentration Mix. I am a big fan of Tony Stark aka Robert Downey Jr the actor behind Iron Man.

I don’t know about you, but just seeing Tony Stark working beside me while listening to motivational electronic music is incredibly inspiring.

Another simple life hack that I use before I even begin my workday, is Youtube! I use youtube to play motivational meditation songs and binaural beats which helps me prepare for my day. I am a firm believer that music can heal the soul even on days you don’t think it’s necessary.

There are days when I’ll wake up feeling fantastic and ready to start my workday, but I still tune into my meditational music because it removes any negative thoughts from my mind, even those I’m unaware of, and helps me focus on positive ones that inspire and encourage me to do my best.

It’s like I’m upgrading my mind and I feel like I can take on the world. So in a way, it’s like having a superpower! 

There are also days when my ADHD leaves me mentally and physically tired, so I have gotten into a habit of fitting in some form of exercise in the middle of my workday, which gives me a boost of energy and helps me focus.  I’ll do a quick workout on my elliptical trainer or lift weights using my home gym. If I have errands to run and the weather is nice, I’ll walk instead of driving to my idestination. Just getting outdoors makes me feel energized and ready to focus again. 

Because I sit in front of a computer screen at work for most of my day, I take a 2-5 minute break after every task to refresh my mind and stay focused on my productivity. I learned long ago that if I didn’t focus on how many minutes it took me to complete a job, my productivity excelled. I don’t feel overwhelmed or stressed when I don’t keep track of the time. Of course, this solution may not be the right strategy for everyone, but it works for me and my ADHD! Sometimes you just have to find what works for you, even if it means thinking outside of the box.

And finally:

One of the biggest life hacks that I rely on is always keeping a bottle of water or a cup of unsweetened herbal tea within reach. When I hydrate regularly, I feel more energetic and ready to focus. The importance of staying hydrated extends not only to the body but also to the mind.