7 Ways to Work Around a Short Attention Span (And Hopefully Expand It in the Process)

Working for long periods of time without taking breaks can lead to fatigue and burnout. Taking regular breaks will help you stay refreshed and focused so that you can be more productive when you return to work.

A productive break serves to give your mind a chance to decompress. Overstimulation from social media and the like will only exhaust you more and lead to getting less accomplished, even if you work for longer hours compared to stepping away from your workspace and walking around for a minute.

Read one page of a book. Answer just one more questtion when you want to stop a study session. Make one more sales call when you're feeling dejected. Anything as long as you progress one inch forward.

There is always someone better, and even the best are often insecure about holding on to the top spot. You only need to do a little better than you did yesterday and keep this attitude everyday.

This method involves setting a timer for 25 minutes and working on one task until the timer goes off. Then, you take a 5-minute break before starting the next 25-minute work period. After completing four pomodoros, take a longer break of about 20 to 30 minutes.

Feel free to adjust the length of time you work before a break depending on what works best for you.

Also known as the "Eisenhower Matrix," this system helps you prioritize your tasks by evaluating them based on urgency and importance. Urgent tasks are those that need to be done immediately, while important tasks are those that don't require your immediate attention, but are critical to achieving your long term goals.

Any task you need to accomplish can be divided into one of four quadrants:

1. Important and Urgent

Important tasks with set deadlines and clear consequences for not meeting them. Do these tasks as soon as possible.

2. Important and Not Urgent

Important tasks without clear deadlines that will bring you closer to your ultimate goals if you meet them. Schedule time for these tasks and work on them when you're able to. Try to spend as much time as possible working on tasks in this quadrant.

3. Not Important and Urgent

These are tasks that must be completed now, but don't require your specific skillset. Delegate these tasks if you're able to.

4. Not Important and Not Urgent

These are the tasks you shouldn't waste your time doing. Eliminate these tasks and work on something more important.

Trying to do too many things at once can lead to information overload and make it difficult to focus on any one thing. By focusing on one task at a time, you can give it your full attention and get it done more efficiently and effectively.

Everyone has different energy levels throughout the day, so finding the optimal work schedule for your energy levels is important. Schedule your more cognitively demanding tasks for when your energy levels are higher, and more rote or repetitive tasks when your energy is a little lower.