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Managing inattention and focus

What impact does this have on you?

  • Missed deadlines or incomplete tasks
  • Strain on work, relationships, and personal routines

What are your personal triggers? Everyone will be different. What impacts you the most?

  • Notice patterns that disrupt concentration
  • Self-monitoring to identify patterns
  • Identify possible adjustments to reduce distractions
  • You may find it helpful to keep a monitoring diary of inattention and focus

What can we do about it?

Here’s a toolkit of strategies to help you manage inattention and build focus:

What are the common challenges?

These could include:

  • Daydreaming or getting easily distracted
  • Forgetting tasks and appointments
  • Losing track of time or details

1. Working towards your values and goals

What are values?

Deeply held beliefs or principles that guide your decisions and behaviour. A sense of what truly matters in your life (e.g. honesty, family, growth).

Why do they matter?

Values shape how you live day to day. They can guide decisions when you face challenges or uncertainties. Aligning actions with values often increases fulfilment and reduces stress.

Examples of values:

Connection:

  • Building strong relationships with friends, family or community.

Growth:

  • Continuous learning, self-improvement and personal development.

Creativity:

  • Expressing yourself through art, writing, or innovative thinking.

Health:

  • Prioritising physical and mental wellbeing.

Contribution:

  • Making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Thinking about what is important to you, and what brings meaning into your life

How can I work towards these?

You can use an activity diary to monitor where you are spending your time and energy. This can help you self-monitor patterns of unhelpful behaviour and identify what would be helpful.

You can use your activity diary to plan helpful behaviours which help you work towards your values and goals.

2. Use the circle of control

What is it?

A tool to help you focus on what you can directly influence (e.g. your actions, choices, responses). It distinguishes what’s within your control, what you can influence, and what’s outside your control.

Why it matters:

  • Reduces stress by directing energy toward realistic, achievable changes.
  • Helps you let go of factors you cannot alter (e.g. other people’s reactions, unforeseen events)

Action step:

  • Pick a challenge
  • Write down what’s in your control and what’s not
  • Direct your energy toward what you can change

3. Work on unhelpful thoughts

What it means:

Recognise automatic, negative thoughts that may disrupt your focus and wellbeing.

Why it matters:

By noticing these thoughts, you can prevent them from dictating your actions or emotional state.

Simple practice:

  • Notice the thought (e.g. “I can’t do this”)
  • Label it (“That’s a worry”)
  • Let it go without engaging

Challenging thoughts:

Catch:

  • Pause when a negative thought arises

Check:

  • Is it based on facts or just a feeling?

Change:

  • Reframe it to something more balanced

4. Attention training exercise

What is it?

This technique helps you refocus when your mind starts to wander. It involves taking a short pause to bring your attention back to the present moment.

What to do:

  • When you notice distractions, take three slow, deep breaths
  • Concentrate on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body

How it helps:

Resets your focus and calms your mind. Makes it easier to return to your task.

5. Pomodoro technique

What is it?

The Pomodoro Technique is a simple time management method that helps you focus by breaking your work into short, dedicated intervals with scheduled breaks.

How it works:

Pick a task: Choose one task to work on.

Set a timer: Work for 25 minutes without interruptions.

Take a break: When the timer rings, take a 5-minute break to relax.

Repeat: After four cycles, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.

Why it helps:

Keeps you focused. Short work intervals make it easier to concentrate.

Prevents burnout. Regular breaks help maintain your energy and prevent fatigue.

Manages overwhelm. Breaking tasks into smaller parts makes large projects feel more manageable.

6. Environmental structuring

What is it?

This approach involves organising your workspace to reduce distractions and keep you on track.

What to do:

  • Keep your workspace tidy and free from clutter.
  • Use sticky notes or a whiteboard for visual reminders.
  • Set up digital reminders on your phone or computer.

How it helps:

A clean, organised space minimises distractions. Visual cues and reminders keep important tasks in view.

7. Structured problem solving

What is it?

A structured method to tackle challenges by breaking them into clear, manageable steps.

How it works:

Stop and define:

  • Pause and clearly articulate the problem you’re facing.

Think and generate options:

  • Brainstorm several possible solutions without judging them immediately.

Evaluate and decide:

  • Weigh the pros and cons of each option and choose the best one.

Proceed and implement:

  • Create a simple action plan and take the first step.

How it helps:

Reduces overwhelm by turning a big problem into smaller, actionable tasks. Provides a clear roadmap for making decisions and taking action.

8. Using technology

  • Digital calendars: Schedule tasks and set reminders
  • Task management apps: Break tasks into smaller steps (e.g. Todoist, Trello)
  • Focus apps: Use tools like Pomodoro timers or Forest
  • AI Assistants: Use Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant for reminders and information

How it helps:

Using technology helps you stay organised, remember tasks and improve focus throughout your day.

9. Overcoming Procrastination

What it is:

A simple technique to break the cycle of procrastination by committing to a small, time-limited effort.

How it works:

  • Set a timer: Commit to working on a task for just 5 minutes.
  • Start small: Begin the task without worrying about perfection.
  • Re-evaluate: Once the timer goes off, decide if you want to continue.

How it helps:

Lowers the barrier to starting a task by focusing on a short, manageable time frame. Helps build momentum; often once you begin, you’ll find it easier to keep going.

Which strategies feel right for you?

Let’s explore these tools together and see which ones fit best into your daily life.

Final thoughts

You don’t need to use every tool at once. Small, steady changes can lead to big improvements over time.

Please note: We are not an emergency service, if you are in crisis and need urgent support or are worried about immediate risk of harm to self or others, please call 999. Alternatively, you can contact your GP and ask for an emergency appointment or visit your local A&E department. You can also contact the following services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: NHS Helpline (111) and Samaritans (116 123).