Kristina does the Internets: What Helps You Concentrate?

Thursday, August 10, 2017

What Helps You Concentrate?

Top (on sale for less than $8!) - Loft / Shorts - Gap / Sandals - Target / Bag - Sole Society / Earrings - BaubleBar

I've been working basically non-stop lately, so I've been thinking a lot about what helps me concentrate and get more work done, faster. And I feel like it's probably different from what you need to concentrate.

I hear a lot of people say that they have to have it silent when they work, or they need music without words to really get stuff done. While that helps if I'm really concentrating hard on writing (and I mean, like, writing a white paper, not writing a blog post or an email), I actually usually need noise. I actually love to have the tv on while I work - probably because my easily-distracted mind needs lots of stimulus! The funny thing is, if I'm working I won't watch it at all. I'll often turn on a show, and then not notice that four hours have passed and I'm now watching something terrible like My 600 Pound Life. Jeff comes home to me watching the most random things, and I literally won't have noticed.

The weirdest thing is, I can't actually listen to podcasts. I've tried it several times, and it's too distracting to me. Something about a person talking directly into my ear really catches my attention, which is funny because Jeff basically only listens to podcasts at work, and he can't handle talking to me and looking at his phone at the same time.

Watching my favorite old shows and movies over and over is usually my go-to - I could watch Parks and Rec or 10 Things I Hate About You or Cool Runnings (and lately the first season of Bug Juice on YouTube - did you hear they're making a new season?!) over and over and over while I work, and it's okay because I only look up now and then to catch a funny line and then go back to work and forget that it's on until the credits start rolling.

Weirdly, this is also the trick I use to fall asleep - I swear I've been watching Gilmore Girls on repeat at bedtime for 10 years now - something my college roommate can definitely attest to! I'd like to take this time to publicly apologize to you for all the times you had to wake up to the DVD menu on repeat ;)

So tell me - what do you need to help you concentrate?