5 Ways to Stay Focused (Enter the Flow State)

Everyone has work to do.

Everyone wants to be good and efficient at the work they do too (if you don’t you should probably look into why that is).

However, as many of you have seen, getting work done is not so easy.

Sometimes if not always, there are distractions. Whether it be a noisy environment (public space, roommates, pets, kids, friends, or family), or simply distracted work (going on the phone, listening to distracting music, eating unhealthy food that is bad for your brain).

The bottom line is that to get anywhere in life, that is significant and worthwhile, we must have periods of intense and deep focus.

During periods of deep focus, you are able to power through what must get done. While giving your full and undivided attention, and putting out the best work possible.

Face it 1 hour of intense deep work, is better than 5 hours of distracted half-assed work.

And if you are anything like myself, you have goals and aspirations that require you to put forth focused bouts of mental efforts.

Luckily I have come up with a way and a framework that allows you to get work done in a deep and focused manner.

I read the book Deep Work by Cal Newport, and watched hours of self-improvement videos by the likes of Dan Koe, Hamza, and countless others, and also tested out what works for me and here is what I got.

1. Get rid of your phone

Now please, don’t actually destroy your phone. But the #1 most important thing when it comes to getting focused work done is putting down that damn phone.

Face it, for as great the invention of the phone is, and all it does for us, it is a huge distraction.

With constant messages, notifications, articles, and social media posts fighting for your attention it’s impossible to get work done with it around.

So simply stow it away somewhere. Put it in another room, turn off the ringer, throw it on airplane mode, at the very least don’t keep it in reach of you.

As soon as your phone is eliminated as a distraction now your real work can begin.

I’m telling you nothing is more distracting than the phone, and even if your environment is perfectly set up for focused work, if your phone is constantly dinging and going off no work will get done.

Turn it off, stow it away, and get ready to work.

2. Schedule out time to get work done

Next, you want to set up and block out a certain amount of time to do work for.

There are countless methods to do this, Pomodoro technique, classic 90-minute blocks, or even 45-1hr blocks with short breaks in between.

In all honesty, the time you choose isn’t important here. I personally do 75 minutes of focused work, followed by a 15-minute break for 2-4 sessions a day.

This amounts to about 2.5-5 hours of work or 3-6 hours of being in the deep work state.

However, do what works for you, whether that’s 90 minutes straight followed by a break, 3 hours of straight work, or 25 minutes on, and 5 minutes off, and do what works for you.

Remember, this is a guide, not a law. You are a human, not a robot. Experiment and find out what suits you best.

3. Prime your environment for success

It’s often said that a cluttered room shows a cluttered mind. Or that we are often the sum of the environment we are in.

Well, that is absolutely true in my experience so before getting to work, make sure your room is clean, set the right temperature in your home, have a HEALTHY snack nearby, and make sure you are in an environment right for you, whether that be quiet or noisy.

At the end of the day this is all personal preference, but what I do, and recommend for you all is to make sure you are warm and comfortable, in a clean room, and that you have water nearby.

Also make sure you are in a quiet place, where you can be uninterrupted for your allotted amount of work time.

Sometimes I have a snack available, such as apples or beef jerky, but I am normally working in a fasted state.

Set up some music, preferably without lyrics, and just enter the flow state of uninterrupted, deep, focused work, and you might be amazed at what comes from that.

4. Be prepared for initial inertia

Now no one said this would be easy, if it was then everyone would do it.

Be ready to deal with some uncomfortable and anxious and distracted feelings for the first 5-15 minutes.

You may not enter the workflow immediately and that’s ok. What’s important is that you ride this wave, because it will pass.

After a good 10 minutes of distraction-free work, and getting over the bumps, you will be in a deep workspace where it is just you and the task at hand.

Remember, almost nothing is easy at first. I still struggle for the first 5-10 minutes of my sessions before I really lock in and get focused, and you may too.

However, if you are willing to get over the initial hump, there will be great rewards on the other side of deep work.

5. Take breaks as necessary

Take breaks… please.

As I said before we are humans, not robots. We need food, water, movement, and social connection to feel human.

So don’t be afraid to take breaks once you begin to feel your focus wane and fade out.

That’s why I like to take breaks after about 75 minutes, because that’s what my brain can handle. I put in good work, and when I am done I go take a walk, stretch, meditate, grab a quick snack, or scroll on my phone (although this can be a dangerous game).

Just know that breaks are necessary.

In the gym, you grow and get stronger when you rest, not when you are in the gym.

When it comes to your mind, you come up with better ideas and think more clearly during your periods of rest, and your subconscious is able to munch on the ideas it was just playing with.

Then when you come back for your work sessions, you have new ideas to play with and more clarity to go forward with.

Conclusion

As I said before everyone, this is just what I do.

Remember to play around and find what works for you, because you may find a process that you enjoy much more than what I have given you.

The best way to learn is through experimentation, action, and direct experience.

So get out there and start playing around with all the possibilities that deep work has to offer.

Remember your attention is a currency, and everyone wants a piece of it.

The future belongs to those who can take it and put it in the direction it needs to be to get them to where they want.

As always I hope this article helped you, and remember only you can find your own way.

– Souley