Your inbox is full, but so is the dishwasher. Your to-do list is a mile long, but so is the laundry pile. That big deadline is approaching fast, but so is dinner time.
Amid neverending tasks, deadlines, and to-do lists, focus can sometimes feel like a luxury. Whether it’s the constant ding of notifications, family responsibilities piling up, or the lure of your next coffee break, distractions are everywhere. For women balancing packed schedules, work demands, and personal responsibilities, how is it possible to stay on track and get everything done?
We went straight to the source and asked women in our community to share their go-to strategies and tools for staying focused. From practical tips to inspiring routines, here are 20 tried-and-true ways real women keep their focus sharp when life gets chaotic.
20 tips and strategies for remaining focused at work
We asked our audience, “What strategies or tools (if any) do you use to help remain focused on work amid outside/personal distractions?” Their advice is as follows.
1. “Pomodoro and setting focused breaks where I can get some real-life things done like scheduling appointments. Sometimes a journaling break also helps get those thoughts out and articulated so they aren't constantly weighing down on me.”
Our recommendation: A three-month productivity planner to write with daily journal prompts, reflection, and gratitude practices.
2. “I try to thought-dump what is on my mind, then prioritize them for my lunch, breaks, or after work.”
3. “Blocking time at lunch to take care of personal things.”
4. “Task lists. When something comes to mind, I write it down so it's not forgotten. If it's something I can't do right after work, I'll set a reminder.”
5. “The main catalyst for my ability to focus on my work is the level of interest and care I have for the work itself. If I enjoy my job and feel that I can make a positive impact through the job I'm working, I can focus easily and put my all into what I'm doing. To the contrary, if I possess little care or interest for the task in question, distractions will derail me easily and I will have great difficulty wrangling my focus back to my work.”
6. “Tackling one thing at a time. Trying not to stress over things not in my direct control.”
7. “I make a lot of lists and try to organize my evenings so I'm not thinking about things while I'm at work. That works about 80% of the time.”
Our recommendation: Stay organized with a comprehensive planner with yearly planning, habit trackers, daily scheduling with 30-minute slots, follow-ups, to-do lists, and priority and main focus sections.
8. “Having mutual respect with my work partners allows us to be able to communicate external concerns and delegate or adjust schedules to make the workload lighter or less stressful.”
9. “Making notes or lists about home and personal stuff so that I can remember what distracted me. A lot of my distraction is worrying that I will forget the thing that invaded.”
10. “Strong boundaries with work. I dedicate one day per work week to no distractions, no meetings, etc. and focus on EITHER deep work OR tackle home stuff (basically a get sh*t done day, and no one can bother me either way). Continued re-assessing workload and balance every month. I do weekly and monthly family planning meetings with my partner to look ahead on our schedules, calendars, must dos, etc.”
Our recommendation: Use a magnetic monthly planner for a clear and visual way to stay on top of your schedule. Plan activities, reminders, appointments, and tasks with ease.
11. “Lists have become essential to maintain focus among outside interferences such as family dynamics with having multiple children, extra-curricular activities, health issues requiring treatments and surgery, etc. We do lists for schedules, tasks, and for each person.”
12. “Mental priorities. What HAS to be done now, and what isn't time-sensitive? And sometimes, what can be delegated to my coworkers or my spouse?”
13. Sand timers, focus time set (do not disturb) in my calendar, and a to-do list.”
Our recommendation: Establish focus time with a stylish hourglass sand timer in five or 30-minute increments.
14. “I work from home, so I will go to a coffee shop to make sure I stop doing things around the house. Also, I have a million lists.”
15. “Time-boxing. Blocking 30 min on my calendar for personal responsibilities, like I would a work meeting. Making a list for the evening. Planning time to work out and think through complicated tasks or conundrums.”
16. “Regular exercise, daily meditation, and visualization techniques.”
Our recommendation: Use a guided visual meditation tool for increased mindfulness, slowed breathing, and anxiety relief.
17. “I have a to-do list incorporated in my calendar so I reduce the planning early in the morning and get straight to business. Also, assigning a time to every event helps me refrain from thinking about ad-hoc tasks as they come and plan as they come based on priority.”
18. “Setting timers and keeping a Post-It pad and my planner nearby to jot down non-work things that I need to address outside of work time.”
Our recommendation: Stay focused with a cute desk timer and sticky notes and index tabs.
19. “Noise-canceling headphones and making time at the start of my day to get something done from my personal to-do list like putting away dishes or starting laundry so I'm not staring at it all day.”
Our recommendation: Reduce outside noise and stay connected to your surroundings with wireless bluetooth earbuds.
20. “I set up a designated work space, separated from other living spaces so you don't see the things that could be distracting. Also, I ensure I take breaks (even if it’s just a quick walk up and down the stairs or outside) to break up my day and allow me to have a few minutes to think about or do something personal if necessary. When I return, I'm more focused.”
