Let's talk about the reality of having to stay focused on work while it feels like the world is screaming around us.
With scary headlines hitting us from all directions, it can be really challenging to stay focused on and productive at work. But there are strategies we can use in these moments to help us stay on task and in the professional zone of success.
Modern Mentor is hosted by Rachel Cooke. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. And today we’re gonna talk about the reality of having to stay focused on work while it feels like the world is screaming around us. Because some days it is just so hard to stay on task. But there are strategies I’m using and recommending. So if you too are wondering how to focus in the face of chaos, stay tuned.
OK—tell me if this feels familiar. Some days you get up and you just attack the day. You’re focused, in the zone, dripping with the sweat of productivity. Man, I love those days. And then… there are the days when the world just feels like it’s on fire—you’re feeling pummeled by scary headlines—and the idea of trying to focus on work feels like a joke. But like, not the funny kind.
I’ve had enough versions of this conversation with people around me to know it’s not just me. I think more of us than not are struggling these days to focus in the face of so much chaos and uncertainty. But still… the work has to be done.
So how can we take back that sense of control—tune the world out for just enough time to get done the things our bosses, teams, clients, and customers expect from us?
Well, here are some levers I’ve been pulling.
I’m old enough to remember a time when consuming the news meant getting to a TV or radio and, like, turning it on to find scheduled programming. (And yes—the TV was indeed in color, thank you very much).
Do I wish we could return to those days? Honestly, not really. LinkedIn and the Gram, on balance, make my life better (I think). But, the always-on and ever-present nature of social media makes it really hard to wait for the 7:00 news to air.
I’m not disciplined enough to avoid social media altogether. I need my fixes during the day. So I book them into my calendar. Literally, every couple of hours you’ll find a 15-minute window reserved for scrolling (and then a 5-minute buffer for having the feelings). I live by my calendar completely—so I start and stop my scroll on time, every time!
When I finish scrolling, if the headlines have been rough that day, am I able to turn off my feelings completely? Um, why no. But because I know I have another date with Twitter in a few hours, I’m sort-of able to set things aside until then. By building these scroll-dates into my workday, it both helps me focus on the work at hand, and limits my need to spend evenings and weekends deep-diving down worrying rabbit holes.
It’s not a perfect strategy. But it helps a little.
It’s hard to focus on designing a meeting or writing an article or meeting a client while the world literally and figuratively burns around me.
But designing, writing, meeting—these are actions. They’re things I have to do.
When I’m struggling to get into doer mode, I remind myself of why I’m doing these things, and what impact my focus has the potential to deliver for others.
I don’t design meetings so I have pretty slides and workbooks. I design meetings so a group of leaders feels better equipped to lead their organization through change, or to craft an employee experience that leaves their people feeling lighter and more connected.
I write articles not to hear my own voice, but to offer perspective and actionable advice to others who may be struggling with a challenging workplace issue.
By reminding myself of the impact my work has on others, I’m reminded of why it matters. And while yes, the fires raging around me are still distracting, they lose some of their power to call my attention away from doing something meaningful for someone else.
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to have a million and four things on my to-do list. So on the days when my distraction is just untouchable, I prioritize things I can get done with less attention.
I load my busy work into these days—I send invoices, manage upcoming travel, I map out (but don’t write or edit) key messages I need to send to clients or prospects. And if the distraction is simply too much, every once in a blue moon I gift myself with a mental health day.
When these days strike, I know I can power through and re-find my focus the next day which I’ll spend playing catchup.
And on these days, I give myself the grace to do what I’m able.
Wildfires, wars, political unrest—it’s all so heart-wrenching. And the truth is, there’s little that I can do. But usually there’s at least some small action I can take.
So in the moments when my ability to focus is hovering around a negative 4, I find a small action I can take—I sign a petition, I make a donation, I write a letter to my senator.
By taking an action I feel—even if only slightly—empowered. And accomplished. And then I’m in a better position to recognize I’ve done what I can—and the rest is out of my hands. Watching it play out won’t accomplish anything further. But having made a small contribution, I’m able to refocus—to some degree—on the work at hand.
Being distracted by loss, suffering, or threats to the safety of people around me doesn’t make me bad at my job, but rather good at humanity. And sometimes I need to remind myself of this.
The empathy I feel for others whose homes are burning or whose safety is at risk is the same empathy that makes me an excellent designer and facilitator. My willingness to listen to both sides of a complicated moment in politics is the same willingness I have to listen to struggling teams during Pulse Check engagements.
Sometimes, just remembering this helps me to double down on my capacity for empathizing, listening well, and all the other good qualities that leave me hurting as the world hurts…and suddenly I’m able to access those qualities and really infuse them into the work I’m doing—as soon as I’m ready to work again.
Because again, offering myself grace in these moments is not really negotiable.
And there you have my magic formula for staying completely focused on my work during times of chaos around me. Except there’s neither magic nor a formula. And I’m never entirely without distraction. But hey—I’m getting by. And I hope these tips help you do the same.