Tips On Keeping Focused While Writing
One of the things that creativity (or any office work) requires is focus. Without it I don’t get much done. There are a lot of ways to increase our focus when we’re working, and I’ve listed a few of my own in this post.
The Importance of a Clean Space
I don’t know about you, but as an author I can find that my desk gets messy quicker than I’d like to believe. Before the week is through I find pens, pencils, sticky notes, and notepads littering my workspace. And I know this doesn’t just happen to authors, but pretty much anyone who spends regular time at their desk. For me I get so involved in the work that I’m doing on my novel that keeping my desk clean completely goes to the wayside.
I’ve found that working in a messy space doesn’t feel all that great, and it can actually distract me from my work, especially if I’m having to sift through sticky notes for something that I’ve written down. I’ve noticed that I also don’t feel like I’ve been productive, even if I have been. I have had times where I avoided organizing my workspace because I felt I didn’t have the time to. It seems counterintuitive to stop and correct the messiness, but it does make a difference. In my opinion it is worth it as long as it’s not used to procrastinate. Even just cleaning for 10 minutes makes a difference.
Managing Our Computers And Other Digital Devices
If your working in an office or at a desk, your computer becomes a virtual workspace that’s just as important as your physical space. A computer with a messy desktop, or one where files are saved anywhere can be a huge detriment to focusing on our work. Not only that, but what programs we have installed can also affect this, along with what websites we visit. YouTube was a challenge for me when I first started writing. It was easy to get distracted watching it, especially since it was one click away. I found that installing browser extensions helped me a lot with this. I disabled comments, video recommendations, and YouTube shorts. All I get to see is a search bar, which has helped me a lot with not watching as much. I use YouTube for listening to music as I write, so it’s important for me to just use it for that. Another thing to consider is our phones. It’s important to put it on do not disturb mode, while allowing certain contacts to still come through. There have been times where I procrastinated on my work by texting family and friends.
Using Music to Help With Productivity
This ties into what I mentioned earlier about listening to music. Putting on your favorite tunes, or ones that you are familiar with help a lot with making the work feel easier. When I still feel like I’m having trouble focusing I listen to music that’s made to help with that. I’ve listened to Chill Music Lab’s music for years while I’ve worked, (they can be found on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@MusicLabChill/featured) especially late at night or when I’m behind on deadlines. Another artist that I like to listen to if I’m feeling like listening to fantasy soundtracks instead is Vindsvept (his channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSUheoljDlGDjerRylO4Nw.)
These are just a few things that have helped me, there are more that I will post in the future.
