7 Reasons You Can’t Focus on Tasks at Hand

Concentration, or focus can be hard to find in the middle of the day. Sometimes, an absence of motivation can be a reason for you not to be able to focus on tasks you have at hand. Motivation is your desire to go after things that you want. So, when you lack motivation, it does affect your focus, concentration, and attention on your tasks.

If you are trying to work, but the words are not making sense, or you aren’t able to retain any information you lack focus. Not being able to focus correctly can be overwhelming and distracting, especially if you have deadlines to reach. 

There are many reasons that people can lose their focus, as mentioned above, lacking motivation is a reason, but also technology can be an unwanted distraction when you are trying to focus. Although smartphones can offer the ultimate distraction and loss of focus, they aren’t the only reason. Below are seven more reasons you can’t concentrate on tasks at hand. 

1. Anxious

Overthinking and worry can leave you unable to focus. Feeling worried or concerned about things out of your control can cause you to miss out on opportunities and can contribute to low concentration on getting tasks done. 

2. Feeling Burned Out

Being burnt out can trigger a lack of focus. Sometimes, without knowing, we juggle way too much and quickly burn ourselves out. If you are facing burn out, focusing on any task at hand isn’t going to happen, and you won’t be producing quality work. 

3. Depressed

Depression can affect your motivation. If you are depressed, you might be feeling overwhelmed at the idea of doing anything, so your concentration on tasks at hand will be zero. When you are motivated and energized, it is easy to focus. However, when you are not feeling like yourself, and have little motivation to make a sandwich, you aren’t going to be motivated to get any jobs done. 

4. Drowning in Clutter

If you are unorganized and surrounded by clutter, it can be hard to focus on one task. When there is so much going on visually for your eyes to concentrate on, it can be hard to focus your attention on one item you need to get done. Keeping your areas organized and clutter-free helps you focus on the tasks at hand. 

5. Suffer from a Food Intolerance

If you have a food sensitivity, it can sometimes weigh you down and make you less focused on your everyday tasks. There are allergens to dairy, wheat, eggs, or corn, as well as carbs or sugar that can cause you to be foggy and unfocused. 

6. Exhaustion

Exhaustion is a common reason that someone can’t focus on their tasks. When we are tired, our attention span decreases, and you don’t have the energy to complete your tasks. To help with exhaustion, you need to be getting a proper nights sleep to help combat your fatigue and low concentration. 

7. You’re Not Sure What You’re Doing

Sometimes if a task isn’t well defined, it is hard to stay on task. If you don’t have all the information that is needed to complete a job, it Is hard to keep the focus to get the job done. To have any attention, you need to have a clear direction of what your tasks are you are trying to complete. 

Final Thoughts

If you are noticing, it is hard to focus, any one of the reasons listed above could be why concentration is hard for you. When you are having trouble focusing, try to identify and removing distractions, training your willpower, tackling one thing at a time, and meditation to help you break through your low concentration. 

JL