Finding it hard to focus, and feeling fatigued? You are not alone. In this blog post, we delve into some of the reasons why it is hard to concentrate and stay productive during the pandemic. With a few recommendations on how you can boost your focus TODAY! Spoiler alert: mushrooms and focus are ancient BFFs.
At the start of this pandemic many were of the thought that with gyms, restaurants, bars, and travel out of the picture, we should be getting so much more done. This ideology soon began to dwindle as we found ourselves scrolling through social media, refreshing news sites, re-reading articles, or playing games. It turns out that there is more to this.
“We’re feeling less productive and more fatigued because we are not equipped for this,” explained Melanie Ross Mills, a family relationship expert in Dallas.
A natural response is for people to distance yourself from the trauma that they are experiencing, and 'check out'. “We can’t accomplish what we could have been able to do last February. Our continuity is lost and we’re feeling highly distracted,” says Mills. “For comfort, we binge — on Netflix, on that extra bag of Doritos, on a glass of rosé — and that contributes to our inability to focus.” [1]
Compiled with the fact that statistically, our attention span is not what it used to be. The nationwide average of attention span is 8 seconds, 4 4 seconds less than 2018.
But there is an upside, there are natural focus boosters and cognitive enhancers to help you stay on track and complete your “to-do” list.
1. Eliminate Distractions
Designate a spot in your home for work. A spot without television, foot traffic, and notifications. Put your devices on airplane mode and give yourself a chance to dive into the task at hand.
2. Mushroom Coffee
Focus can be hacked, give yourself a powerful concentration boost with mushroom-infused coffee. Ancient medicinal mushrooms like Lion’s Mane and Chaga have been used for centuries to boost both focus and mood. Something we can all use a bit of right now. Infusions like VitaCup’s Focus Coffee is infused with both Lion's Mane and Chaga mushrooms, and is the perfect way to stay energized, focus, and crush the day.
3. Slay the Dragon
Slaying the dragon is a term our team coined to help us get things done. Slaying that pesky dragon is easy. Simply start your day with the most grueling task so the rest of your day is smooth sailing. Share this with your co-workers so you can have a celebratory slack channel or zoom meeting. Completing the most difficult thing first makes focusing on the rest of your work seem easy-peasy.
4. Use Nootropics
Using nootropics is another brain-hack that will flip on your focus switch like no other. Nootropics are natural cognitive enhancers like Alpinia Galanga, Licorice Root, and Ginkgo Biloba. Successful entrepreneurs like Neil Patel have used nootropics and achieved positive results. Try sipping on a cup of Lightning Blend coffee, a rich dark roast infused with Alpinia Galanga, 200mg of caffeine, and vitamins of caffeine for laser focus.
5. Set Daily Goals
So you've got a lot of goals, we like that. But staying focused on your larger vision can bog anyone down, and make it difficult to navigate through the day-to-day minutia of making multiple calls, sending emails, or whatever it may be. Instead, try making small daily goals.
Daily goals help to rewire your brain and trigger the reward mechanism which is when your brain releases dopamine when you achieve daily goals. [2]
6. Good Fats
A great way to kick your concentration into gear is to incorporate more healthy fats into your diet. You may know that your brain is composed of mostly fat, which is why it needs a good dose of fat to function at 100%. Try incorporating more eggs, avocados, and MCT oil. Better yet, brew up a cup of Genius coffee or tea. A blend infused with MCT oil, turmeric, cinnamon, and vitamins to beat-brain fog, increase energy, and amplify your focus.
7. Exercise
That's right, busting a sweat can help you dial in. Exercise primarily helps our brain’s ability to ignore distractions. Some say that the discipline it takes to push through a workout taps into the same supply of willpower that we use to ignore the itch of distractions in order to keep working/focusing. [3]
8. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep is the archnemesis of focus and productivity. The amount of sleep necessary for maximum concentration varies per individual. Many successful individuals site sleeping 8 hours a night as the key to their productivity. So try adopting "sleep more, to do more" as your new mantra.
We hope that all of the recommendations listed above kicks your focus into gear and makes your workdays just a bit more productive.
[1] Today.com
[2] Forbes.com
[3] Artofmanliness.com