As wonderful as it often sounds in theory, a lot of productivity advice isn't actually designed for people's real lives. 

Some of the advice can be so aspirational that it can feel impossible, or it can end up becoming rigid and all-consuming: one misstep, and all feels lost. 

This week, we're offering tiny, doable strategies that can be incorporated to fit your specific, individual contexts. With room for experimentation and play of course — our specialties here at focused space.

We’ll offer simple ideas to help you:

• set up your physical space in a way that works for you, 

• relate more effectively to time, 

• and support your mind and your body, all for greater productivity that is grounded in the real world, not fantasy. 

Tweak your physical space

To kick things off, we first invite you to make one tiny change to your physical work space to make it a little more soothing and engaging.

Think calming, warm or natural lighting, tactile toys like fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, or a candle on your desk to light when you are ready to get into deep work.

Even one small tweak that supports your unique needs and preferences goes a long way. 

P.S. Space design is especially supportive for those of us who are neurodiverse!

"Micro-Boundaries" for Focus

We already do a lot of small things here at focused space that make a big impact — like body doubling, 25-minute work sprints, stretch breaks, and breaking down our goals, but we have more strategies you can try.

We live in a world where it can seem like everything is trying to get our attention all of the time, often in tasty, alluring ways.

Finding ways to create distance from those grabby distractions can be a huge support. 

4 Micro-Boundaries to try:

📏 The 10-Foot Rule: Physically place your smartphone at least 10 feet away 

🎧 "Do Not Disturb": turn off notifications before beginning a task

📄 "Clear Desk" Practice: Remove one item from your workspace daily until only the essentials remain

✍🏻 Identify Distractions: Keep a notepad nearby to immediately write down distracting thoughts or "to-dos"  — or use your Brain Dump in the focused space app!

An additional tip that may be especially helpful for those of us who are neurodiverse: create a “launch pad” for yourself, like

• leaving your laptop open screen on an opened tab that you know you need to start with tomorrow, or

• setting out your clothes the night before to reduce morning "decision fatigue" that can derail getting going on tasks. 

Time-Based "Micro-Habits"

Time-based “micro-habits” can be especially useful for those of us who can hyperfocus — and lose track of time — often to our peril!

3 Time-Based Micro-Habits to try:

⏱️ The 5-Minute Rule: work on something hard for just five minutes (or 2!), to gain momentum. More often than not, your brain will get into it and want to keep going!  

✍🏼 The 3-Minute Reset: first thing, take 3 minutes to breathe slowly, stretch, and write down one sentence defining what "winning" the day looks like.

📝 "Parking Lot" Task: end each day by leaving a 5-minute, simple task (like writing a subject line or reviewing one page) on your desk for the next morning to start immediately.

For those of us who are neurodiverse, it can also be helpful to use a timer or a similar visual aid to see time "disappearing" rather than just reading numbers on a clock.

Knocking out a small, easy thing on our list — especially when stuck — really builds momentum and confidence.

Cognitive "Micro-Strategies"

Overwhelm happens when too many topics pull on our attention, or it can even come from intense focus that feels good in the moment, but may lead to exhaustion over time. 

People who are neurodiverse may especially benefit from breaking down tasks using tools such as Goblin or other AI tools that break down a single overwhelming task into tiny, manageable micro-steps. 

For some, a “One-Song Loop,” or a single, instrumental song on repeat can create a "background hum" to help the brain lock into a flow state. 

Once again, try something new out today, and see if it works for you!

2 Cognitive Micro-Strategies for Focus:

☝🏼 Mono-Tasking Reset: Close all unnecessary browser tabs and apps. Focus on one activity until it is finished.

👁️ Peripheral Vision Switch: After times of intense focus and nervous system activation, we love the practice of engaging our peripheral vision to trigger the nervous system’s relaxation response.

If you're feeling overwhelmed in a meeting, try switching to a "soft gaze.'

First, stop staring at a single point. Instead, relax your eye muscles and consciously broaden your awareness to notice movement and objects on the periphery (sides, top, and bottom) without moving your eyes.

Physical “Micro-Strategies”

We’ll close with ways to support a resourced, focused state by focusing on our bodies. 

Our bodies and minds are of course connected, and especially in times of prolonged hyper-focus, we can risk becoming drained, or even reaching a state of burnout that will make working in the days-to-come all but impossible. 

To set ourselves up for ongoing productivity — and wellbeing — caring for our body is foundational. 

4 ways to care for the body while working

🙆🏼‍♀️ Micro-Movements: Do 60 seconds of stretching, jumping jacks, dancing, or a quick walk between tasks.

👀 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

💧 Hydration Boost: Keep water on your desk. *Even mild dehydration (1-2% water loss) reduces productivity by up to 12%!

🌲🪴 Access Nature: Spend even two minutes outdoors when you can, and consider office plants!

Another idea, especially for folks who are neurodiverse, having flexible seating — such as stability balls, beanbags, or standing desks — can be be helpful for accommodating different needs for movement and positioning.

✧˖°. ⋆｡˚:✧｡

We hope this guide helps you try out at least one new accessible, real-world strategy to get back to focus when we get pulled away.

P.S. If you aren't a member of Focused Space, but could use help accomplishing your goals, busting through procrastination, or getting motivated… you are welcome to join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions!

Take care,

— Anna and the focused space team