How to Optimize Your Brain for Exceptional Focus and Productivity

Science shows that multitasking can eat away your focus. Here are the solutions that will make you more successful.

In today’s lean, fast-paced business environment, we’d all love to be the star who can tackle the workload of an entire team at once—and do it well.

If such a person actually existed, I’d certainly hire them. However, studies have shown that in reality, multitasking is horrible for both you and the quality of your work.

While you may think you’re knocking it out of the park by checking off multiple items from your to-do list at the same time, it’s likely that you’re not doing your best work and you’re dropping the ball somewhere along the way.

The Statistics

We would actually benefit if we decided to finish one task at a time. Experts at Stanford found that serial multitaskers, when compared to those who rarely multitask, have a failing working memory, are unable to filter irrelevant information, and are persistently distracted.

Research shows that 52 percent of workers reported that they respond to emails immediately upon receiving them (even if they’re in the middle of something else) and are even willing to interrupt a meeting to do so. Shockingly, they could be dropping their IQ by 10 points during this multitasking—the equivalent of an entire night without sleep.

Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford and industry expert, told NPR:

“The research is almost unanimous, which is very rare in social science, and it says that people who chronically multitask show an enormous range of deficits. They’re basically terrible at all sorts of cognitive tasks, including multitasking…[I]n our research, the people who say they’re the best at multitasking because they do it all the time. And it’s quite noticeable on tests. You can actually test for that and see the differences going on.”

Microsoft found that, on average, its workers lost 25 minutes for every email they responded to following an alert while they were working because of their need to refocus on the task at hand and the opportunity to get further distracted.

But how can you resist the urge to multitask when you feel like you’re expected to be constantly plugged in, responsive, and up-to-date on everything?

Here are a few proven ways to optimize your brain and make solo-tasking the new normal.

Allow Yourself to Unplug

Although technology can be a boost to productivity as a whole, all the tweets, notifications, and bleeps coming from electronic devices can hijack our ability to solo-task.

Unplugging can do wonders for limiting the urgency to multitask that electronics create. But let’s be realistic: You certainly can’t banish electronics from your office.

Instead, find time in your day to detach from media and electronic devices and schedule time for handling your inbox rather than responding to alerts. Block off specific time on your calendar to reply to emails or to catch up on social media and news. This sets boundaries on how much time you give to these tasks and helps you focus on your other work during the rest of the day.

If this sounds impossible, it’s likely that you have set people’s expectations to view you as an immediate responder or that you have a boss or client who has unreasonable expectations for you. If you’re the one who’s made the promise of immediate responsiveness, I hope you consider rescinding that promise. Set expectations for when you will reply.

If you’re suffering from a boss or client who always wants an immediate response, my next tip will be your saving grace.

Use Tech to Fight Tech

Numerous tools and apps are available that can help you trim down the digital distractions.

Email is one of the most insidious multitasking culprits, so I use tools to trim down my inbox, and you should, too. I obviously can’t be completely unresponsive, so I use rules to filter my inbox. Clients and other urgent emails go straight to the inbox, while other emails are sent to a separate folder that’s checked more infrequently. I use SaneBox, which automatically “learns” which emails are important. There are also other options that could be right for your needs.

SaneBox helps me triage my inbox so I know which messages actually need to be answered right away when I make my scheduled inbox sweep.

If you’re having a hard time with self-discipline and feel your mouse gravitating toward Instagram, there are apps to help you resist. For starters, try downloading the app SelfControl, which blocks your access to distracting sites and email for the specific times that you choose.

Prioritization Is Your New Best Friend

Prioritizing your daily tasks is an effective way to stop multitasking in its tracks. When we’re working on multiple things at once, we aren’t giving one more importance over the other — instead, our brains naturally gravitate to the simplest or most enjoyable task. As a result, the ones that are likely the most important (and the most difficult and demanding) keep getting pushed back until it’s the end of the day and we haven’t done them yet.

In a perfect world, prioritizing would be easy. After your perfectly brewed morning cup of coffee, you’d simply order your tasks by importance — and boom! You’re ready to start working.

You and I both know this is a fantasy. The unexpected project will always pop up in the middle of something important, without fail.

To be truly productive, you need a system to classify everything so you know which “this” is more important than “that.”

I recommend creating a Maslow-style business hierarchy to boost productivity. At my firm, clients are number one, and all queries need to be answered yesterday, so clients and cash sit at the top of my heap of priorities.

I strongly recommend considering a system that organizes and prioritizes your work in the virtual space to track this. I use Asana, and there are heaps of other options out there. Most of these systems are designed to be easy to use.

This has worked wonders for me. At any given time, I can see every company task by priority, who’s working on it, and how far along it is. I can leave comments whenever I need to, even while mobile.

Of course, little things can pile up. Especially when they involve a deadline, they need to be dealt with in a timely fashion so they don’t become big things. You’ll need to give yourself some time to knock out urgent small tasks so you can commit your undivided attention to the important nonurgent work that gives you traction on your big goals.

Put the Tough Stuff First

Setting priorities can help you tackle the most important stuff when you have the most brainpower available. Research shows that our brains lose power as the day goes on. Even worse, our willpower and ability to make smart decisions fade as we use them during the day.

To combat this brain drain, knock out the toughest priorities first, when your willpower is the highest. You’ll be more likely to keep checking items off that list as the day moves on. Additionally, research shows that accomplishing “wins” early in the day makes you feel more motivated to keep going, which yields positive results for your to-do list.

Granted, if you’re feeling particularly unmotivated or are recovering from a late night out, putting the tough stuff first might not be ideal. If you find yourself procrastinating, it might be okay to switch to something a little more fun (like writing a blog) for a short while. The key here is that you’re single-tasking and prioritizing instead of aimlessly drifting between projects.

Set Ground Rules (and Make Sure You Follow Them)

Whatever you decide to do, you must follow through and lead by example. There is nothing worse than sitting through or leading a meeting when everyone’s eyes are fixated on their laptops or smartphones. Have a discussion with your team (whether you lead them or not) about the importance of collaboration, and share what you’ve learned about the negative effects of multitasking.

Challenge your team to leave their phones and laptops behind for meetings. Not only will your time together be more valuable, but you will also notice how much quicker these meetings can be without any distractions.

If your team gives you pushback, then take a look at the meetings themselves. If they’re long enough to warrant frustration about being disconnected from electronics, people are likely not paying attention anyway. Research shows that attention spans in meetings cap out at around 10 to 20 minutes. That’s why I combine the no-phone rule with strict, structured meetings that last only up to 10 minutes. That’s a feasible amount of time for everyone to focus.

Give Yourself Permission to Think and Be Alone

As an employee or business owner, a big chunk of your value and success comes from your ability to implement new ideas and improvements.

Groundbreaking thoughts and ideas simply don’t happen if you have to constantly answer an annoying co-worker or pick up the phone every two minutes.

Almost every genius in any field makes uninterrupted alone time a daily habit for this very reason. Thomas Edison went on a daily “fishing” trip (with no line attached!) just so he could be alone to think, while LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner schedules two hours a day of uninterrupted thinking. Neuroscience backs them up, since being alone serves as a “reset” for your brain and creates increased focus and creativity.

Even if you can’t go fishing every day, consider closing the door or putting on headphones while contemplating something important. You’re not being antisocial; you’re being a savvy innovator.

The Bottom Line

Although it might seem more productive to juggle everything at once, the effects of multitasking are devastating. While you can’t completely eliminate distractions and multitasking from the workplace, it’s worth the effort to develop habits that allow you to focus on one thing at a time.

Do you have tips for single-tasking? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment!