“If you’re not stressed, you’re not paying attention.”- Miles Davis
Look, making a living is stressful. As my father always pointed out, “they call it work for a reason.” But if you’re feeling more stressed than usual, you’re not alone. According to the American Psychological Association, more than three-quarters of us Americans are reporting higher levels of stress than usual. (The numbers are higher than usual elsewhere as well. Everyone has their own reasons.)
Whether you’re worried about the economy, the political situation where you live, or your kid failing algebra, we all have reasons. And it’s hard to keep these things separate from work, where stressors like meeting quota, finishing a project or upcoming performance reviews are ever-present.
Stress and its impact on focus doesn’t care if you work remotely or in an office. Some studies show that remote workers suffer more work-related stress due to blurred lines between home and work duties, and potential isolation. Others say that commuting and dealing with in-office politics and relationships make working in an office more stressful. Complaining that your lot is harder than someone else’s isn’t productive.
Here are some tips for staying focused on work in crazy times:
- Identify your stress triggers. You know the old joke, “Doctor it hurts when I do this. So don’t do that?” Same thing. If you know that talking to Bob is going to distract you for the rest of the day or he won’t shut up about Elon, that’s what the “do not disturb” button is for.
- Stay off the news and social media (and avoid stressful non-work conversations.) If you work at home, it’s tempting to use social media for breaks and to take care of personal communication. These days it’s also a considerable distraction, not only in terms of the time but what it does to your thinking and long-term focus. The same is true of political conversations with co-workers (and these are sometimes even harder to avoid!)
- Get involved with your teammates on a project. Working in isolation leaves you alone with your thoughts. That can be great for focus, unless the voices in your head are becoming negative and distracting. Interacting with others and reaching a tangible outcome is great for getting us back on track. Whether in person or over Teams, interaction with others on something useful helps.
- Get your butt out of your chair. When your body and brain change what they’re focused on, your focus shifts as well. If you’re in the office, take a walk to another department and ask a question instead of sending an email. If you’re at home, do a simple task like unloading the dishwasher or taking the dog for a walk. Mentally organizing your thoughts while walking is a proven way to refocus and banish unwanted distractions.
- Pick another project to work on. When we work on a single task too long, we slip out of “flow state,” and our brains find other ways to amuse themselves. By switching focus, you put more attention on that new thing until it’s either finished or you have done enough for the moment. We can really only focus for 40 minutes or so on a task before we begin letting distractions in.
It's easy to say that when you’re at work, your mind should be on work and nothing else. It’s also nonsense. It’s not so much that things aren’t stressful, it’s where you choose to focus.
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