Staying calm and focused at the workplace at times can be a hurdle for most people; it can be difficult for one to remain or concentrate on one task due to different reasons. Dr Andrew E Ivang from the Department of Clinical Biology – Huye Campus, University of Rwanda, says with too much distraction like cell phones, social media, it’s just normal for employees to get completely away from their duties, which is a huge challenge when it comes to beating deadlines. He also explains that challenge also comes in when an individual doesn’t know how to figure out when to stay focused amidst other things are happening around them. Dr Ivang, who is also a psychologist by profession, says there are multiple factors that contribute to the loss of focus at work, and understanding this can help one overcome this challenge. He notes that one should, first of all, stay away from things like time-wasting habits, distractions, or even annoying co-workers who keep on disrupting. “When not taken carefully, these are just some of the factors that can have a negative impact on one’s productivity and factors for overall efficiency,” he says. Ways of staying away from distraction According to Ivang, first and foremost, trying to get rid of messy stuff around your area of work can work, noting that though this might be overlooked, it’s important to understand that the brain gets directly influenced by such things, thus getting rid of them is just the best way to keep one concentrated all the time. “Keeping your workspace clean and organised takes little time but can have a huge impact on keeping your focus intact and taking your productivity to another level,” he says. Enock Habimana, a motivational speaker in Rubavu District working with young people believes that to be organized and stay focused all the time, there is a need to always plan everything that you are going to do during the day. He explains that scheduling your tasks time by time is just not only a great exercise to do but also keeps off from getting destructed all the time. “This is not complicated as one knows exactly what they want and what needs to be accomplished, for this reason, it becomes easier to organize your work,” he says. In addition to this, he says that planning allows one to prioritise things thus helping when it comes to accomplishing your task. Meanwhile, Mark Ndagijimana, a deputy teacher at GS Ruhango Catholique School in Ruhango District says it’s also vital for people to stop the habit of procrastinating, noting that this habit will make you keep things getting postponed all the time. Importance Ndagijimana says that getting focused on what you do can guarantee success all the time. He says that the more time and concentration, the more you are able to concentrate on one task thus ensuring greater results at the end of the day. “This will not only ensure that one completes their tasks on time but also ensure that you are free from mistakes and errors that tend to happen when one is rushing,” he says. Dr Ivang says giving all your attention to the task without distraction, can ensure efficiency and accuracy, noting that being focused also comes with creativity as one is able to come up with new ideas all the time. Also, he says that studies have also indicated that focusing on one thing for a certain period of time helps one think better. When one focuses, they are also able to think about only one thing for that period of time.
