This Science-Based Focus Routine Helps Me Do In 2 Hours What I Used To Do In 2 Full Days
How to enter a state of full focus and peak mental performance.
Most people reading this are — or will be — knowledge workers.
In other words, they make money with their mind.
And if you make money with your mind, you’re a mental athlete.
Just like Olympic athletes train their muscles, mental athletes should train their ability to focus.
It’s those who can focus deeply for 2–4 hours per day who will outperform 95% of their peers — especially in today’s distraction overload world.
As Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, wrote:
“To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.”
That’s why, right now, I’ll share the evidence-based focus routine I’ve created after years of experimenting with countless focus hacks and researching the neuroscience of optimal performance.
16 Hours of Intermittent Fasting
My cognitive performance, focus, and mental processing speed tend to be much better when I’m working in a fasted state versus when I’m fully fed.
This is no coincidence.
As neuroscientist Mark Mattson wrote:
“The brain and body actually perform better during fasting. In the case of the brain, cognitive function, learning, memory, and alertness are all increased by fasting.”
After about 10 to 14 hours of fasting, the body switches from using glucose to using ketones as an energy source.
And ketones, as studies have found, are a much more efficient energy source for the brain than glucose, allowing for a boost in mental performance.
That’s why I practice intermittent fasting during workdays. I stop eating at 8 pm and have my first meal 16 hours later, at 12 pm.
This allows me to get roughly three hours per day of deep focus in a fasted state, which are by far my most productive hours of the day.
8 Hours of Sleep The Night Before
Getting 7–8 hours of sleep per night is essential for optimal brain functioning and, therefore, our ability to work with deep focus.
As Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep, wrote:
“Sleep is a performance-enhancing substance. Getting a good night’s sleep improves cognitive performance, creativity, and overall productivity.”
Studies using brain scans found that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep show decreased performance in their prefrontal cortex — the area of the brain responsible for focus, willpower, and critical thinking.
In other words, a good night’s sleep is the foundation of a highly productive day, as it nudges the brain into an optimal state to do deep, focused work.
Create A Distraction-Free Work Environment
Distractions are the enemy of focus. And right now, we’re living in an age of distraction overload:
- Research by RescueTime shows the average office worker gets distracted every 3–6 minutes
- A study by Microsoft revealed that the average human attention span has declined by 34% since the year 2000
- A Vouchercloud study found that the average knowledge worker is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes in an 8-hour workday´
In other words, people are more distracted than ever before — and it’s only getting worse.
That’s because modern digital distractions have been designed to hijack our brain’s reward system (specifically the neurotransmitter dopamine).
Whenever a task gets a bit boring or challenging, we can quickly escape into a world of digital instant gratification.
We can get maximum mental stimulation at zero effort — and that’s a dangerous combination.
So, if you want to protect your productivity, create a distraction-free work environment that allows for deep focus and concentration:
- Turn notifications off
- Put your smartphone out of sight (and out of reach)
- Download app/website blockers (like Freedom or App Block)
- Put on noise-cancelling headphones
- Close all unrelated internet tabs (especially email, social media, etc.)
Remember, distractions are the enemy of focus. They can’t co-exist.
Consume 100–300mg Caffeine
Studies have found that 100–300mg of caffeine (about 1–3 cups of coffee) boosts cognitive performance, focus, and mental alertness.
That’s why I always have a cup of black coffee before I dive into a morning focus session.
(I don’t do this for afternoon focus sessions because of the adverse effect caffeine has on sleep quality.)
Just be careful you don’t overdo it with caffeine.
Consuming more than 500mg of caffeine (about 5 cups of coffee) can lead to restlessness, anxiety, and more trouble focusing.
Listen To 40Hz Binaural Beats
Studies have found that binaural beats in the beta frequencies (14–40 Hz) are linked to increased concentration, mental alertness, and problem-solving capabilities.
Personally, I find that binaural beats help nudge my brain into a deeper state of focus — especially when using noise-canceling headphones, which also block external distractions.
If you want to listen to binaural beats, I recommend the BrainWave app, YouTube (like this mix), or Spotify (like this playlist).
Sufficient Hydration
When you’re not sufficiently hydrated, you’ll suffer from brain fog, which is this clouded mental state that goes along with sluggish thinking and feeling easily distracted.
That’s why I always keep a large bottle of water on my desk whenever I’m doing deep, focused work. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your focus.
Pick One High-Priority Task
If you’re not crystal clear about the task you want to complete, you’re automatically going to lose focus.
The brain doesn’t like it when it’s not 100% clear what to do, so it will seek out distractions to avoid any ambiguity.
Lack of clarity = Lack of focus.
Before you start a focus session, define the objective as precisely as possible:
- Write for my book → Write 800 words for chapter 5
- Study for upcoming exam → Study pages 10–24 of module 1
- Write sales emails → Write 3 sales emails
Remember, the more abstract you are about the objective, the more distracted you’ll be.
The more clarity you create about the objective, the more focused you’ll be.
Work In 90-Minute Focus Blocks
As Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University, recommends in his podcast, 90 minutes is the optimal length for a focus session.
If you try to go any longer than that, you’ll start feeling mentally fatigued and become more prone to distractions.
If you can’t do 90 minutes, aim for 60 minutes. And if you can’t do 60 minutes, aim for 45 minutes. Focus is like a muscle that can be trained, and it gets stronger with repetition.
What’s important to understand is that focus isn’t an on/off switch, like most people think.
It takes some time for the brain to settle into a state of focus and productivity.
In fact, research shows it takes an average of 22 minutes for the brain to focus 100% of its attentional resources on the task at hand.
(This is what neuroscientists call ‘attention residue’)
So, those first twenty minutes of a focus session are dedicated to getting your brain to focus completely on the task in front of you.
But once you’ve passed that stage, you enter a state of full focus and peak mental performance.
That’s where the productivity magic happens.
Depending on your level of skill, you can stay in this state for about 60–80 minutes before your attention naturally drifts and it becomes difficult to stay concentrated.
That’s when it’s time to take a break.
20–30 Minute Break After Each Focus Session
Working in a state of deep focus for long is hard work for the brain, draining mental energy.
That’s why it’s essential to take a good break (20–30 minutes) after each focus session.
The better you prioritize rest and recovery, the longer you’ll be able to operate at peak mental performance throughout the day.
As Naval Ravikant wrote:
“Knowledge workers function like athletes — train and sprint, then rest and reassess.”
Personally, I like to get moving during my breaks to promote blood flow to the brain and counter the negative effects of prolonged sitting.
(I’ll either do some squats/push-ups or I’ll go outside and walk my dog.)
Just don’t try to push through and skip your breaks.
It will cost you later in the day, as your brain will get tired and lack the mental energy to function optimally.
The Entire Focus Routine Summarized
All in all, after years of experimenting with countless focus hacks, this is the focus routine I follow every single workday:
- 16 hours of intermittent fasting
- 8 hours of sleep the night before
- Create a distraction-free environment
- Stay sufficiently hydrated
- Consume 100–300mg caffeine
- Listen to 40hz binaural beats
- Pick one high-priority task
- Work in 90-minute focus sessions
- 20–30 minutes break after each session
