It’s not uncommon to struggle with a lack of focus and concentration from time to time, particularly when you need to complete tasks which you do not find interesting or enjoyable. Two of the main neurochemicals that support the brain’s ability to focus — epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and dopamine — naturally increase when you are spending time on something that interests or excites you, making it easier to stay focused and engaged.
To improve your focus, break up work into the following phases: 1) entering a state of focus on a specific task, 2) maintaining and redirecting focus despite distractions or difficulty level, and 3) deliberately taking short breaks to defocus before entering another work bout. Improving your focus and concentration is not just a matter of mental training or sheer will: the ability to perform truly focused work is a byproduct of your environment, workflow, workspace and the amount of time you spend practicing entering and staying in a focused cognitive state.
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Subtopics
Optimizing Workspace for Focus
You can take advantage of the mind-body connection and use environmental cues to make it easier to enter and stay in a focused state. Visual cues can be very effective to increase feelings of alertness and focus: use bright overhead lighting and position your monitor or screen directly in front of you, at or above eye level to increase levels of alertness. Reducing distracting environmental stimuli is key: even your favorite background music can prevent you from being able to fully focus on the task at hand. Visual distractions — even subconscious cues such as using your bedroom as an office — can require more mental resources to tune out, increasing distractibility and contributing to burnout. While it is impossible to reduce every possible distraction that may come your way, most of the protocols you can implement to optimize your workspace for focus are easy to adopt and completely zero cost.
| Timestamp | Clip | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 01:25:18 Movement in the Workspace | Movement in the Workspace | Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity |
| 01:55:08 Cognitive Focus & Environment; Isolation | Cognitive Focus & Environment; Isolation | Dr. Cal Newport: How to Enhance Focus and Improve Productivity |
| 00:44:23 The Cathedral Effect: Analytic vs Creative Work | The Cathedral Effect: Analytic vs Creative Work | Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity |
Ultradian Cycles and Deep Work
Ultradian cycles are natural, recurring cycles that occur approximately every 90 minutes throughout the day, compared to the body’s circadian rhythm, which follows a longer, 24-hour cycle. These ultradian cycles play a key role in the ability to focus and learn effectively. If you continue to push past the roughly 90-minute ultradian cycle, it can impact cognitive function due to diminished levels of acetylcholine and dopamine. Understanding and aligning with these naturally occurring cycles in focus and concentration can enhance overall productivity and work efficiency in the long term. The ability to perform deep work — that is, a bout of intense focus on a single task without distractions –— is inextricably linked to these ultradian cycles. When you are truly focused on engaging with challenging tasks that demand significant mental exertion, it is crucial to take intentional breaks (10-30 minutes) to replenish the brain’s capacity to enter another ultradian cycle of deep work and sustained attention.
| Timestamp | Clip | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 00:37:30 Protocol 7: Optimize Deep Work: Visual Elevation, Ultradian Cycles, White Noise | Protocol 7: Optimize Deep Work: Visual Elevation, Ultradian Cycles, White Noise | Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily Tools |
| 00:26:14 Tool: Ultradian Cycles: Warm-Up, Maintaining Focus & Deliberate Defocusing | Tool: Ultradian Cycles: Warm-Up, Maintaining Focus & Deliberate Defocusing | Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration |
| 00:25:00 Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus | Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus | Time Perception & Entrainment by Dopamine, Serotonin & Hormones |
Supplements for Focus and Productivity
One cannot overemphasize the importance of good Sleep Hygiene, proper nutrition and regular exercise in supporting states of focus and alertness. Supplementation protocols are just that — supplements to a foundationally healthy lifestyle — as there is not a single supplement that can fully compensate for a lack of sleep. Most of the evidence-backed supplements that support focus and alertness do so by affecting the quantity of neural pathways for acetylcholine, dopamine and adrenaline – including caffeine, alpha-GPC, L-tyrosine and phenylethylamine (PEA). If you choose to take any supplements to achieve a heightened state of focus and alertness, avoiding taking them every single day can help maintain their potency and effectiveness. Over the long term, EPA and DHA fatty acids (found in omega-3 supplements) can modulate the neural circuits associated with focus and attention, making neurotransmitters like dopamine more effective.
| Timestamp | Clip | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 01:46:46 Behavioral, Nutrition & Supplement Tools for Focus | Behavioral, Nutrition & Supplement Tools for Focus | Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration |
| 02:07:00 Tool 13 Phenylethylamine (with Alpha-GPC) For Dopamine Focus/Energy | Tool 13 Phenylethylamine (with Alpha-GPC) For Dopamine Focus/Energy | Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction |
| 00:47:53 Tool: Caffeine & Focused Work, Dopamine Efficacy, Alertness | Tool: Caffeine & Focused Work, Dopamine Efficacy, Alertness | Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration |
Protocols for Enhancing Focus
Research has indicated that cognitive focus follows our visual focus, and so training one’s visual focus back to a singular target can enhance cognitive focus on a task shortly after. Establishing a regular meditation practice can improve the brain’s ability to redirect focus when faced with unavoidable environmental and internal distractions. Using do-not-disturb mode to silence phone calls and notifications — even placing your phone in a different room entirely — and reducing time spent on social media can improve your ability to focus over time.Taking the time to intentionally de-focus and practice mindfulness between work bouts is crucial to both sustaining focus and supporting overall well-being. Moving your full attention from narrowed focus to a broader, passive awareness is a cognitive skill that can be developed over time and will make it easier to both enter and exit focused states.
| Timestamp | Clip | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 00:22:55 Warm-Up for Cognitive Work, Refocusing Attention & Neuroplasticity | Warm-Up for Cognitive Work, Refocusing Attention & Neuroplasticity | Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration |
| 00:21:37 Tool: Improve Focus, Mindfulness Meditation, Perception Exercise | Tool: Improve Focus, Mindfulness Meditation, Perception Exercise | Optimal Protocols for Studying & Learning |
| 00:28:56 Sniffing Creates Alertness & If Done Properly Can Help You Focus & Learn Better | Sniffing Creates Alertness & If Done Properly Can Help You Focus & Learn Better | How Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You |
Guest Experts
Resources
Articles & Research Papers
- Acute Stress Improves Concentration Performance
- Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures
- Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators
- Effects of a Workplace Sit–Stand Desk Intervention on Health and Productivity
- 40-Hz Binaural beats enhance training to mitigate the attentional blink
- Gorillas in Our Midst: Sustained Inattentional Blindness for Dynamic Events
Books
- Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Additional Resources
- Lookaway App for Mac
- Twenty App for Windows
- The Influence of Ceiling Height
- The Father of Deliberate Practice Disowns Flow