How to overcome a lack of focus at work and stay productive

Whether it’s Monday morning or Friday afternoon, there are times we all suffer from a lack of focus at work. If your concentration issues don’t resolve themselves, you may start to worry about your job performance or keeping your position. If your lack of focus stems from an underlying health issue, it may affect your mental and physical well-being. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do to remedy the situation.

Your ability to focus at work is an important aspect of setting yourself up for success. To overcome your concentration woes, it can be helpful to learn about some of the common reasons for a lack of focus. Identifying what’s causing the problem can help you manage distractions and build more productive habits that help you stay focused.

8 reasons you can’t focus at work

In a Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time workers, 67% said they feel burned out at least some of the time. If you’re feeling spent, it’s easy to lose focus, but burnout is just one of many reasons you might lose concentration at work. The following list can help you answer the question: “Why can’t I focus at work?”

1. You’re burned out

Mental exhaustion can lead to brain fog and trouble concentrating. Physical exhaustion can also cause a similar effect. When you have low energy levels, it’s easy to get pulled off track by the slightest distraction. Maintaining focus and concentration in these moments takes willpower you simply may not be able to muster.

Say you’re trying to knock out an end-of-year report by next week. As important as that assignment is, you may find yourself scrolling through memes on social media. This might be a sign that your brain is unconsciously trying to take a break because you’re overtired. 

When you’re feeling burned out, take a look at the factors that affect concentration. Ask yourself if you’re experiencing any of the items from the following list, as they may be contributing to the issue:

• Chronic stress
• An overwhelming workload
• Lack of sleep
• Poor diet
• Physical conditions like thyroid problems
• Poor mental health
• Lack of exercise
• A demanding personal life

Taking steps to improve your sleep hygiene, self-care, and stress management can help you avoid burnout and maybe even kick the “Sunday scaries.” 

2. You’re struggling with time management

Noisy coworkers (including the work-from-home variety), a poor office setup, or underlying mental health conditions can all slow you down. But in some instances, simply improving your time-management skills can be an effective way to increase your attention span.

While it’s tempting to multitask when you have a to-do list as long as your arm, switching between tasks may not be the most effective way to use your time and energy. As shown by a study from the University of California, Irvine, being interrupted during a task can increase stress and frustration, suggesting there’s a cognitive cost to multitasking. 

Additionally, a study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology indicates that when you jump back from one item to another into an item, it can take your brain time to reorient. How complex and familiar the tasks are also impacts how long it takes to refocus. 

The next time you’re tempted to try multitasking, focus instead on checking one item off before moving to another. This may help you improve your focus and concentration skills so you can work smarter and avoid mental fatigue.

3. You don’t like what you’re working on

Even if you love your job, there are likely some tasks you loathe. You might move them from one day’s list to another’s, prioritizing tasks that aren’t as urgent or important just to avoid them. 

Lacking motivation to work on an unpleasant task is one of the causes of procrastination. Even if you know a project or experience will help you learn something new (or is simply a requirement of your job), not liking what you’re working on can cause discomfort and trouble focusing. 

To overcome a lack of concentration caused by anxiety, try sandwiching it between things you find enjoyable or using extrinsic motivation, such as a trip out for a treat, to stay focused. You can also “eat the frog,” which means completing the most unpleasant task at the start of your day. After that, you may see your stress and fatigue fall away and your cognitive function improve.

4. You fear success

Sometimes chronic brain fog can be rooted in a fear of success and unexamined stress regarding your ability to handle the responsibilities that come with career development. This can lead to maladaptive behaviors like self-sabotage or multitasking to stay distracted. Your lack of focus at work could be a subconscious ploy to keep you from making an action plan and achieving your goals.

For example, you might have trouble focusing on finishing your graduate school application because you fear being accepted. Since acceptance could mean quitting your job to focus on your goal, you might be scared to stay motivated, even if it brings you closer to following your dreams.

Remember what you’re working toward. You’re more likely to deal with regret over not pursuing a goal than you are to regret not achieving it. 

5. Your health is working against you

Impaired focus and decreased productivity can sometimes be symptoms of certain mental and physical health problems. Certain mental health issues and physical conditions can cause difficulty concentrating and lack of focus, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Sleep disorders like insomnia or narcolepsy
• Memory loss
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Hormonal imbalances
• Epilepsy
• Restless leg syndrome
• Blood sugar imbalance/diabetes
• Blood pressure issues 

If you have symptoms of any of the health conditions above, it’s important to seek help from your doctor or a qualified mental health professional. They can aid you in finding treatments to address sleep deprivation, memory, mood, and anything else you’re facing. Learning how to ask for help is important not only for focus at work, but for your long-term health and well-being.

6. You lack purpose

If you’re not sure of your “why,” you might have a lack of motivation that causes stress and negatively impacts your work performance. Uncertainty about your career path or personal values can make it hard to feel motivated to work toward your long-term goals. 

For example, if your purpose is to make the world more focused on the importance of community, you might feel uneasy about doing public relations for a global corporation. If you’re struggling to see how your job helps your friends and neighbors, even the best productivity tips or tools like the Pomodoro technique can feel like more effort than they’re worth.

Finding your purpose may not be quick and easy, but creating purpose in your work may be what’s missing from your ability to find a flow state. As you ask yourself questions to discover your life purpose, you just may start to see your cognitive function, impaired focus, and mood improve. 

7. You’re bored

When you’re a smart, capable, and talented person, it makes sense that dull tasks might cause you to have trouble focusing and prevent you from being productive. But sometimes, being bored can actually impact mental clarity.

If you find that you’re regularly bored at work, remember that there are times when boredom is good. When we’re bored, we tend to let our minds wander, and according to research published in the journal Psychological Science, people whose minds wander more during simple tasks have higher working memory capacity. This suggests that letting your mind explore off-topic thoughts isn’t purely a distraction, it may actually be linked to important cognitive functions. 

It’s OK if your day-to-day workload isn’t always particularly engrossing. While being bored may occasionally cause a lack of focus, it can also provide you with an opportunity to use more of your brain.

8. You didn’t turn off your phone

Whether it’s texts, emails, or messages from social media accounts, notifications can decrease your ability to focus and impact your attention span. If you don’t turn off your phone or set it to “do not disturb,” you risk letting ongoing distractions chip away at your work performance. 

Try using time blocking to set aside enough focus time to complete all of your tasks. By designating these blocks as “no-phone” periods, you’re more likely to stay on task and on track. While there are also mobile apps that help you focus, using one of these might not be the best strategy if you tend toward cell phone addiction. 

How to regain focus at work

It’s normal to have days where you feel stuck and unfocused at work. But if the problem feels severe or you are having difficulty regaining your concentration, it might be time to change your perspective so you can become a better version of yourself. 

If you want to avoid distractions and increase your productivity, here are some helpful tips:

• Start small. If you think a method like time blocking could work for you, ease into it by starting with shorter chunks with breaks in between. If you can tackle 15 minutes at a time with 5-minute breaks in between, you’ll quickly realize you’re capable of longer periods of focus and deep work.

• Put your phone down. Many of us have developed a significant dependence on our smartphones, but this can be one of the most self-sabotaging habits in the workplace. Try keeping your phone on “do not disturb” while you’re actively working on tasks, so you’re less tempted to scroll social media or get into a text conversation with a friend.

• Set realistic goals. Setting and achieving lofty goals at work is a fantastic feeling, but if you aren’t ready to meet those expectations yet, your goals may do more harm than good. Focus on setting SMART goals, which are measurable, achievable goals you know you can reach if you dedicate your time and mental energy to them.

• Seek accountability. If you tend to be a chatterbox with the people sitting near you or you find yourself getting off-task often, enlist a trusted coworker to be an accountability partner. They can encourage you to knock things off your to-do list before you head over to their desk for a chat session about your weekend.

• Take a walk. Sometimes, stepping away is actually the best way to kick-start your focus and help you come back with fresh eyes and a little more motivation. Taking a quick stroll outside might help you clear your head and come back to your desk feeling refreshed and ready to dive in. 

• Listen to music. It may sound counterintuitive, but you might benefit from having sound in the background while you’re trying to focus. To use music to concentrate, try listening to instrumental tracks or green noise to get the benefits of music without going into sensory overload.

• Keep a physical task list. If you find yourself lacking focus at work because you’re not feeling motivated, try writing down a physical to-do checklist on paper. The act of crossing things off one by one can boost your happy hormones and help you stay on top of your output. 

• Take breaks. Even if you feel like you wasted part of your day because you had difficulty concentrating, allow yourself a few quick breaks whenever you can. Taking breaks can provide a much-needed mental reset that prevents you from getting burned out or easily overwhelmed, which both contribute to a lack of focus.

• Complete the “best” tasks first. Unless you’re passionate about your morning routine, you may feel unready or unmotivated to dive into work right when your day begins. To get your day started, try completing the most interesting or easy tasks first thing in the morning. This may help you feel invigorated and accomplished, leading you to continue tackling your to-dos for the remainder of the day. 

• Reward yourself. Whether you treat yourself to your favorite coffee spot or keep some sweet treats at your desk, allow yourself little rewards for staying focused and productive. This is an easy and impactful way to keep the momentum and motivation going. 

• Seek support when you need it. If you feel like you’ve exhausted all resources and can’t get out of a rut, it may be a good idea to consult with a mental health or medical professional. They can rule out any underlying conditions affecting your focus. They may also be able to prescribe medication or suggest concentration exercises to keep you on track, focused, and consistent each day.

Improve your lack of focus at work

A lack of focus at work could be a symptom of fatigue, poor work habits, or an underlying health condition. Consider it an opportunity to check in with yourself. You might have to make some changes, such as:

• Asking your boss for a mental health day
• Creating a better work-life balance
• Honing your time-management skills
• Consulting a mental health professional
• Improving poor sleep habits
• Creating meaningful life goals

Addressing a lack of focus may take some time and effort, but being honest about your needs is the first step. When you acknowledge having a problem concentrating, you can make a plan to address it. A professional coach will help you tackle this plan and put it into action. By working with a BetterUp Coach, you can regain your focus and stay sharp so you can reach your goals.