DEEP WORK: How can the mind be retrained to concentrate?

Regarding „Deep Work“, I am giving a lecture at the Therapy Leipzig. You can benefit directly here:

Modern working days are full of interruptions such as email notifications, social media updates, and calls from the boss. Nevertheless, these distractions are a significant waste of time and talent. This is because every time we respond to a notification or distraction, or check our phone, we lose our concentration. Deep work, which is intense and focused work, is necessary to achieve higher performance and be creative.

Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted WorldThis describes the practices of a number of prominent intellectuals who have consciously detached themselves from the outside world in order to think deeply. However, not all of us have the brilliance of Jung or Rowling, so the question arises of how we can avoid replying to our boss's email or returning his call.

Newport advocates for having a dialogue with your boss and specifying in your job description what Deep Work means to you. Based on this, you can set aside a few hours each day during which you are absolutely unreachable and focus on the work that adds value to your company. However, this requires a radical shift in how we communicate and what expectations others have.

There are also tips on how to retrain your mind to focus, such as refraining from using social media, not responding to emails or phone calls, planning the week, and observing a nightly ritual. Deep work is not intended to create a life where inspiration is impossible and work-life balance is an illusion, but rather to create a life where inspiration is possible and work-life balance is not fiction.

You don't have to be a member of top management or the „big boss“ of a company to engage in Deep Work. You could also be a newcomer and this could be your first job. As long as you are able to clarify your supervisor's communication expectations and, above all, deliver results, everything should be fine.

Naturally, you can't make time for intense work by playing video games or browsing the internet. So is Deep Work reserved only for engineers and accountants? Not for creative people like us? It's easy to dismiss serious work as inappropriate for artistic professions. Newport contradicts this assumption: „Very creative people are surprisingly organised in their approach to the day.“ „...excellent creative thinkers handle their time like accountants... they are very controlled and methodical with their time, but they create the most brilliant and creative discoveries.“

I didn't have to look far to see this idea validated. One of my contemporaries, an astonishing journalist whom I admire, structures his day with the precision of a timetable, yet still manages to deliver incisive insights into the subject matter he covers, read a mountain of heavy books, fit in a workout and paint. To me, he embodies the famous quote by Chuck Close: Inspiration is for amateurs. If anything, creative people are better suited to serious work.

How can one retrain the mind to concentrate?

To train your mind to concentrate better, there are various tips:

1. Schedule fixed times for focused work without distractions.
2. Turn off your phone during the deep work phase.
3. Avoid using social media during working hours.
4. Use special apps that promote concentration and minimise distractions.
5. Hier ist eine detaillierte To-Do-Liste mit priorisierten Aufgaben: **Hohe Priorität:** * **E-Mails beantworten:** Dringende Anfragen und wichtige Korrespondenz zuerst beantworten. * **Projekt X abschliessen:** Den entscheidenden Meilenstein für Projekt X erreichen, der für den Zeitplan wichtig ist. * **Bericht Y überprüfen:** Den abschliessenden Entwurf des Berichts Y freigeben, bevor er eingereicht wird. **Mittlere Priorität:** * **Besprechung mit Team Z planen:** Einen Termin für die nächste Besprechung mit Team Z festlegen, um Fortschritte zu besprechen. * **Recherche für Projekt A durchführen:** Informationen sammeln, die für die nächsten Phasen von Projekt A benötigt werden. * **Präsentation B vorbereiten:** Eine Gliederung und erste Folien für die Präsentation B erstellen. **Niedrige Priorität:** * **Dateiarchivierung:** Nach Abschluss von Aufgaben, die dazugehörigen Dateien organisieren und archivieren. * **Feedback zu Dokument C einholen:** Unwichtigere Dokumente zur Überprüfung an Kollegen weiterleiten. * **Weiterbildungsmaterialien sichten:** Artikel und Ressourcen lesen, die für zukünftige Projekte nützlich sein könnten.
6. Reduce your email communication to a minimum and only respond to emails at specific times.
7. Create a focused work environment that is free from distractions.
8. Use Pomodoro techniques to focus on a specific task.
9. Avoid interruptions from staff or colleagues.
10. Speak to your manager about how you can structure your working hours to practice deep work, and negotiate this if necessary.

The goal of Deep Work is to create a life where inspiration is possible and work-life balance is not an illusion.

If you've become curious and want to learn more about Deep Work, I recommend you get in touch with our expert on the Digital Society, Sanjay Sauldie, to register and arrange a free initial consultation.