It’s hard to maintain focus, even when you’re doing something you love and enjoy. Maintaining your focus is a skill that asks for you to concentrate and to say no to distractions, and it often leads to a lot of frustration. In order to get your work done, there are no easy answers or set pathways to follow.
While there’s no perfect device that will make you focus and do your work, there are several tools which are convenient and can be used at any time, especially when you’re feeling stuck or distracted. These tools can help you concentrate and see the problem in front of you with fresh and clear eyes.
Bustle compiled a list of the best productivity boosting tools out there; check out five of our favorites:
Pen and notebook
While this solution is on the simple side of things, putting your thoughts on paper has always been a good way of solving your problems. Notebooks are great for jotting down thoughts, ideas, to-do lists, song lyrics, cute doodles, and anything else that’s on your mind. Having one at hand while you’re working or trying to work is a smart way of giving your brain some breathing room; a notebook can be a blank canvas that allows you to think, which sometimes is all you need.
Fidget cube
There are dozens of these on Amazon, raging from cheap and ordinary to more expensive and amazing looking. While fidget spinners and cubes have developed a bad rep because they’re annoying and are just glorified toys for kids, they can help you move your brain and reduce your anxiety, pushing you into thinking in different ways. They’re also a great tool for those who have a lot of energy and need extra help concentrating.
Calendar
Writing appointments and deadlines on your calendar can help you visualize your schedule and organize your time. While there are tons of great digital calendars on the Internet, having one in the shape of a notebook can help you remember appointments more easily—since you wrote these down by hand—and remind you of stuff without having to look it up online.
Timer
Timers are available on all phones and there are dozens of cute devices which can be placed on your work desk if you’re into that sort of thing. These tools can restrict you and keep you focused, giving you a mental deadline for work, so you can stay on track and avoid as many distractions as possible.
Ergonomic keyboard
These keyboards are great because they won’t hurt your hands and wrists since they’re designed for comfort and for using your computer for long periods of time. While it may not seem like having comfortable wrists is the key to productivity, it definitely helps you concentrate when your body isn’t in pain.
