The Good Egg: Regain Focus
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Good Morning, Good Eggs, and welcome back to another Monday. Today, we’re talking about ways to regain focus — especially when stressed or overwhelmed.
In the article, “4 Steps To Regaining Your Focus When You’re Totally Stressed Out”, author Gwen Moran explains her thoughts on how to stay productive during challenging times.
1. Take Control: Louis Gagnon, CEO of Total Brain states,
“under chronic stress, high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) for long periods of time derail key brain, heart, and digestive system functions. Stress contracts our mind and reduces the cognitive flexibility that is necessary to put things in perspective, create, and collaborate.”
Start with controllables — limit the amount of news or social media you consume. Keep yourself away from triggers that make you upset or worried. If you can, try to find the good in the situation to make it more tolerable.
2. Manage Your Load: “practice CDE: curtail, delegate, eliminate”. Write all of your tasks down. Go through each to-do and figure out what you can eliminate or give to others. With what’s left, see what you can break down to make more manageable.
3. Care For Yourself: make sure you continue to stay hydrated, eat well, and sleep. These are necessities and please make them priorities in your life. Productivity is greatly affected by these factors.
“Pruning leeches and cultivating lilies” refers to interactions and relationships with other people. Keep and build on those relationships that benefit your wellbeing (lilies), and avoid those that do not (leeches). Reach out when you need help and the lilies will find ways of making it easier…even if it is just a motivational pep talk :)
4. Know Yourself: find the times in the day when you are the most focused and productive. Save these moments for solid work. If you find yourself losing focus, separate yourself from the work, do something to relieve that fatigue and then come back to the work. Some people choose to meditate, go for a walk or run, or take a few deep breaths before returning to the work. Know yourself and what your brain and body needs.
Happy Monday!
-The Good Egg 🐣
