The art of focus – how to manage distractions and improve productivity at work?

People working in the information sector are familiar with the practice of participating in remote meetings while simultaneously sending instant messages and drafting team emails. This is often mistakenly labelled as multitasking, as it is in fact a continual act of shifting attention. According to research, workers in front of screens switch tasks every 47 seconds on average, and it takes about 25 minutes to refocus.

Digital distractions, fragmented workdays, the demands of multi-level jobs, and interruptions make long-term focus increasingly difficult. The constant switching between tasks reduces productivity and creates a feeling that nothing gets done properly. This increases stress and mental strain, which can lead to burnout and a loss of job satisfaction in the long run.

Focus is a skill that can be developed

Focusing is a challenge many face, but it can be developed with the right tools. The Focus Tiger program developed by Silta Education provides individuals, teams, and organisations with practical ways to establish focus-supportive routines. We decided to try out these tools at Nitor.

The program was developed by occupational health and organisational psychologist Johanna Vilmi and education scientist Veera Virintie, along with their team. 

"At my practice, I had noticed the same thing as Veera in her neuroscience studies: we have a wealth of research on how information work should be done in a way that enables people to remain productive and efficient without burning out. This requires refining individual traits and habits, and reviewing organisational culture," Vilmi explains.

The Focus Tiger program is based on neuroscience and behavioural psychology, and its effects have also been studied at the University of Helsinki. The name of the program refers to the fact that our hunter-gatherer brains have not fully adapted to the stimuli and demands of the modern information society. Developing the ability to focus requires methods that help manage the flood of stimuli, reduce distractions, and enhance long-term focus.

Six weeks toward better focus

We made the Focus Tiger program available to all Nitor employees in the spring of 2024, with about a fifth of the staff taking part. The six-week program included daily 10-minute focus exercises aimed at changing daily routines to support better focus and more productive work. Key points included reducing distractions and clarifying goals on a daily basis.

In addition to the exercises, the program included three group meetings where participants could reflect on their progress, share experiences on how to further improve focus, and to discuss how Nitor’s work community could be refined to provide a more focus-oriented environment.

Some participants also adopted new routines including meditation and ice swimming to further enhance well-being and refresh the mind. Routines like these are intended to help one recover and relax – essential ingredients for improving focus.

"Nitoreans were very proactive in adopting the new tools we introduced and trying them out in their daily lives. That's the secret of successfully turning theory into practice: you have to put in the hours to implement change, not just sit and wonder if this or that might work and ‘maybe I should try it out one day.’ Nitoreans understood and embraced this approach right away," Vilmi summarises.

An extra hour of productive time per day

The Focus Tiger program yielded substantial results: 75% of participants consciously reduced multitasking, while more than half felt that their sense of achievement had improved. 67% reported gaining up to an extra hour of productive work time daily.

The program not only boosted productivity but also improved mental well-being. Participants were strengthened with new ways to enhance focus and mitigate interruptions. They also adopted new routines such as taking regular breaks to help the brain recover and rejuvenate, essential for maintaining focus.

Focus is a team effort

One of the participants was our Senior Enterprise Coach Suvi Purontaus. Suvi says the program affected not only her work but also her free time:

"The program equipped me with tools to clarify what’s important and what’s not. At work, I started making weekly goal lists to define what short-term goals I set for myself. Breaking down tasks into smaller sections by setting daily goals helps kickstart large projects more effectively. I also cut down on social media significantly in my free time, and my interest in such content quickly waned," Suvi explains.

Suvi also notes that limiting social media had an unexpected side benefit, as other unfavourable habits subsided. Visits to the candy drawer became less frequent as social media browsing decreased. So, giving up one habit also led to one with addictive qualities to disappear. Seemingly small things can have a significantly positive impact on one’s quality of life.

An important part of the program was highlighting how social media keeps people hooked on expecting constant, short-term dopamine hits. The program emphasised alternatives that provide a more sustained release of dopamine, such as ice swimming, meditation, and reading. Such factors are critical when aiming to develop and maintain one’s focus.

Suvi, who coaches teams as part of her work, also gained practical tools for coaching teams. She summarises her learnings into three key tips for teams:

1. Agree on common ground rules on how teams operate. It’s important that team members express what work methods work best for them, and that everyone's views are noted. Document the agreed-upon practices.

2. Teams should define primary responsibility holders, possibly on a weekly rotation. These people take care of logistics, thus preventing team members from fragmenting their focus by continually monitoring things like task changes or the project’s overall progress.

3. You don't always have to be available. One must be allowed to mute Slack notifications, for instance, or relocate to a distraction-free zone to focus fully on the tasks at hand.

With these tips we will continue developing Nitor’s work community towards a more sustainable and focused work life. Our goal is to create an environment where our experts can focus on the essential, achieve their best, and maintain a balanced and restorative routine – both at work and in their free time. This fall, we are launching the next Focus Tiger program, with over 40 new participants signed up to learn the noble skill of focus.

Learn more about Nitor’s work culture!