These 7 Tips Will Help You Focus On The Office

Talking and laughing colleagues, ringing telephones and rattling keyboards. In an office, there is usually no peace. And when you’re finally able to concentrate on your work, your manager comes to your desk with a question. Or that colleague, who is eager to tell his vacation stories. The lockdown means that you are no longer used to all these stimuli. No wonder they come in extra hard and you come home exhausted in the evening.

Colleagues on the phone

Your colleagues on the phone give you the most trouble. That’s because you only hear one side of their conversation. Every time your colleague talks again after a listening pause, your brain interprets this as the start of a conversation. Your brain finds new things very interesting. That’s why it’s impossible to ignore that phoning colleague.

Over-stimulated

Continuous interruptions easily lead to overstimulation. You find it increasingly difficult to stay focused on your work. Sometimes you would like to shout “sh” loudly, but that is not very nice for your colleagues. Fortunately, there are other ways of shutting yourself off from the stimuli as much as possible.

Tips for concentrating on the office

1. I’m busy

Be sure to let everyone know that you’re busy. Keep your eyes on your screen and ignore what’s going on around you. With that body language of supreme concentration, colleagues will not easily disturb you.

2. Get to the point

There is a colleague at your desk, anyway. Don’t ask how he or she is doing, but ask, “What can I do for you? In this way, you are friendly, but you leave little room for small talk. The small talk will come later.

3. Introduce concentration hours

Agree with your colleagues on ‘concentration hours’ at fixed times. For example: every working day between 9 and 11 am and between 2 and 4 pm. During these hours, you do not disturb each other in principle and everyone can work hard.

4. Use headphones

With headphones or earphones, you shut out the noises from your colleagues. Extra advantage: if they see you are trying to work in a focused way, they are less likely to disturb you. Choose the right music to listen to. Vocals are just as distracting during thinking work as the chatter of your colleagues. Instrumental tracks, such as electronic music, work best. Research shows that baroque music, in particular, increases your productivity. Preferably listen to music you already know. With unfamiliar tunes, you listen with more attention.

5. Introduce a “headphones etiquette

Of course it’s not the intention that you and your colleagues work with headphones on all day. Social contact and opportunities for consultation remain important. So draw up a ‘headphone etiquette’. In it, you make several agreements. For example: use the headphones only when you really need to concentrate. Make sure others cannot hear the music. Is someone wearing headphones? Then only seek contact if it is really necessary.

6. Watch your energy

If you are fit and rested, you can cope better with the stimuli in the office. You can also concentrate more easily. Therefore, go to bed an hour earlier than you are used to. During the lunch break, take a walk. This will give you the boost you need to get going again in the afternoon.

7. Strike a cheerful note

Do you have to admonish your colleagues now and then because they are too noisy? Try to make it friendly and humorous. That way you keep the atmosphere well.