My word of the year, or one of them, is focus!
Why I Made Focus my Word of the Year
Focus – defined as careful attention that is given to something such as a task, or the ability to give your full attention to something. My ability to focus over the last few years has become fractured, interrupted even.
I have noticed I am a constant buzz of ideas with my mind being pulled in different directions – things I want to do, things I want to buy, new business ideas, knitting projects, places to visit, restaurants to eat at, ideas for my friends and how they drive their business – its non-stop and far from being focused.
Ironically, its made me focus and ask myself ‘why am I unable to focus?’
Social media is not helping – I am consuming a myriad of content, all leading to new ideas every few minutes or even seconds.
But is it also because I’m avoiding stuff I need to (and don’t want to) address? Like my fear of long term goal setting, fear of failing and an ever present touch of imposter syndrome. Maybe.
Or could those good old hormones be playing havoc?
The answer is – I think it’s a mix.
Why Focus Diminishes as We Age
We produce less dopamine as we age – this helps with motivation and focus – and as this decreases, it’s hardier to stay on task. And since we love a dopamine boost, I can understand the desire to stay attached to our phones and get that hit. But phones and digital overload is part of the issue – studies show that heavy tech use may reduce our attention span over time. Which completely explains the 3 second instagram reel advice – gotta catch attention in those first 3 seconds, apparently! (Because none of us can focus any longer than that!!)
Midlife too can zap us of our attention. We are often pulled in all sorts of directions, managing the juggle of work, life and family pressures – its easy to be spread thin. Menopausal brain fog tops it all off, and can really impact concentration.
All makes sense really, but what can we do to improve focus?
The good news – we can get a grip (focus!) on focus. And even though there are things conspiring against us and trying to disrupt our focus, there are ways to improve it.
5 Things to Help Improve Focus
Here are my top tips, the things that are working for me:
01
Daily Movement
I am a huge believer that movement is medicine. It can also help focus by boosting attention, mood and mental stamina. It doesn’t mean you have to take on a huge running challenge, a daily walk (ideally outside) is enough.
I have committed to RED January in my quest to regain focus. 12 days in, its spurred me to get outside and move – it feels good and I feel more energised and motivated. When I’ve had to tackle tasks I’ve found myself being able to concentrate more too.
02
Removing Distractions Before Starting a Task
I have powered through some meaty work and life tasks in the last week by putting my phone out of reach with notifications off. And I made an extra effort to concentrate on completing 1 task at a time without jumping from one thing to another with things unfinished. Single-tasking might be the way forward.
I honestly didn’t miss my phone, I got through tasks more quickly and I felt boosted from achieving my goal.
03
Setting Clear, Small Goals
I have a lovely morning routine where I enjoy journalling with a coffee and as part of this, I’ve started to set goals for that day. I’m limiting to 3 per day so I am super focused. They are not big things like ‘buy my dream house’. More like – clean out a cupboard, sometimes even just do my run for that day – really simple.
04
Take Breaks When You Need To
Whilst its good to plough through a task, we can often benefit from some well timed breaks to increase attention, alertness and improve cognitive function. And that all helps with focus. Plus it can boost creativity too and help generate new ideas.
Many people use the Pomodoro Technique where you tackle tasks in small, timed chunks followed by a timed break. This technique tricks your brain into short, manageable periods of focus without feeling overwhelming.
05
Sleep, Deep Rest and Daylight Exposure
I’m cautious about advising sleep as the answer to better focus. Of course it matters, but many women (like me) in midlife don’t get consistent, uninterrupted sleep, often due to menopause symptoms. Telling someone to “just sleep more” isn’t always realistic and it can actually add pressure.
Instead, I focus on rest. If I can’t sleep, I allow myself to properly rest and use some deep breathing or mindfulness or sometimes I just lie in bed and listen to a podcast. That alone can make a noticeable difference to my ability to focus the next day.
Daylight exposure is another key part of supporting focus, especially in winter. My RED January challenge has meant far more time outside in natural light than in the months before, with a SAD lamp as a backup on darker days. I may not be getting perfect sleep, but by prioritising rest and daylight, I’m aiming to feel well-rested and more able to concentrate.
Simple clear (focused) actions, big impact. What tips do you have? Share in the comments below. Oh and here are some useful books and products to help too….
