As a London-based company, we love our city. The hustle and bustle, the endless opportunities – both social and professional – and the overwhelming sense of history and culture that London provides truly is unmatched.
However, the amount of distractions – both dangerous and advantageous – can easily become overwhelming and we find ourselves craving peace and quiet, greenery or the comforting and rhythmic sound of the seaside. As our diaries fill up, it can feel impossible to find a moment of pure focus to hone in on our creativity. And even in our safe spaces, be it home or a studio, Instagram notifications and articles on why creatives should know everything about NFTs and the metaverse prevent us from finding that focus sweet spot.
Here are our tips on clearing your mind in attempt to find focus
- Stop multitasking
Yeah, this one is hard to hear. Modern capitalism praises multitasking and being able to juggle or work in a ‘fast paced environment’ is a desired skill in pretty much every job. Realistically, however, when you focus on one thing at a time, you’re much more likely to get that one task done quickly, efficiently and correctly. - Turn off your phone
In order to reduce screen time, simply turn your phone off. Or, put it on sleep mode as its sole function is to continue your playlist. Once you hit play on the playlist, commit to it so you don’t need to keep going back to your phone to change a song and then disappear down the TikTok rabbit hole. According to researchers, even though a notification seems to only momentarily distract us, it disrupts our thoughts for much longer, making it difficult to get back on track. So even if you don’t interact that much with your mobile phone, this device can disrupt attention performance. - Try to make your days somewhat resemble each other
The rhythmic repetition of a 9 to 5 does not exist for many freelancers. While in many ways this can feel freeing, repetition is also soothing and comforting for humans. Freelancers can find themselves waking at 5am on Monday, 10am on Tuesday because they had a networking event the night before then working from 2pm till 11pm on a Thursday etc because work just got in the way. If possible, create a sense of routine on the days where you can control what happens. The jet setting lifestyle can be exhausting and create a sense of unnecessary chaos. - Create a task hierarchy
Note down what you have to do today and then reorder them in order of priority. This will make you feel accomplished and propel your sense of productivity. - Wholesome activities will reset you
Rest is important but there is active rest and stationary rest. This exists in the sports world. An active rest may be a long walk – it may not be as exhausting as a hardcore hour in the gym but it still requires focus and a certain energy level. Then there is lying in bed and watching a film you love which requires little to no energy. That’s stationary rest. The same applies to your brain. While partying and seeing friends is enjoyable, it is an active rest. Time alone, off social media, is crucial to brain rest so get yours in order to refresh.
