FocusMe Team, Author at FocusMe

5 Ways to Stay Sane During NaNoWriMo

FocusMe Team — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:53:09 +0000

For most people, November is the start of the holiday season, but for some writers, it’s so much more. November is the month where many aspiring novelists commit to spending almost every waking moment outside of work or school participating in NaNoWriMo. The challenge pushes these novelists to write 50,000 words over the month of November, which equates to writing 1,667 words every day. The days where you don’t meet this goal, you have to make up the word count on other days. This gets tricky as it is so easy to let things slide over the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and the weekend that follows. NaNoWriMo is one of the wildest, most exhausting things any writer can do, but the reward is high. Writers that complete the challenge come out of November with a 50,000 word draft of their novel

However, as important as writing is, writers shouldn’t just steamroll all over their life and enter December drained. It’s important to maintain some semblance of a life and take care of yourself during NaNoWriMo. While you will inevitably be exhausted if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, you should still make time to take care of yourself over the last week of November. Here are a few great ways to do that.

Communicate, Don’t Isolate

Humans need community to thrive. Whether this means being surrounded by family, friends, or coworkers, it’s important to make time for the people in your life, especially during NaNoWriMo. This may sound counterproductive, but people can actually motivate you, encourage you, and even help you overcome writer’s block.

NaNoWriMo realizes the value of community and designed forums for this very purpose. There are ones to plot, ask questions, post inspiration, and even just chat. These can be a great resource when you just need a reminder of why you’re doing this challenge.

Furthermore, having a writing partner (or several) can help with accountability and be a great way to have someone to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes writing with a person can really help motivate you. Find a creative way to do this, like a virtual write in. Try video calling some writer friends, setting their videos in the corner of your screen, and typing away.

Stay Healthy

This year’s NaNoWriMo literally takes place in the midst of a global pandemic during flu season. For a few lucky dystopian writers, this may be a source of inspiration, perhaps even for their novel, but for most writers, it’s a source of fear and stress. Maintaining one’s health and safety is at the top of everyone’s minds right now. However, given the strenuous and time-sensitive schedule of NaNoWriMo, staying home and writing isn’t always enough to stay healthy.

Eating well can be tricky, especially when you’re crunched for time. A diet that consists of more than just coffee and junk food, however, is crucial to maintaining energy and mental clarity. Try keeping a bowl of fresh fruit or vegetables and hummus next to your computer to snack on throughout the day instead of a bowl of chips. Your body needs healthy nutrients to fight off germs and illnesses, particularly during the winter. In the event that you or a family member starts to feel sick, don’t panic. You can use an over the counter medicine delivery service to have the essentials dropped off so you don’t have to waste time or energy going to the store. Cough syrup? Check. Chicken noodle soup? Check. Vitamins? Check. Back to writing your novel? Check.

Because you’re spending most, if not all of your days hunched over your laptop furiously typing away on your novel, it’s important to stand up and stretch every now and then. Wake your tired muscles up with a short walk or run. If you’re already surrounded by snow and going outdoors isn’t an option, then try an online workout video or yoga session. Either way, it’s important to get moving. Exercise isn’t just good for your body, it also provides mental clarity and enhances focus, something every writer needs.

Surround Yourself With Inspiration

The phrase “art inspires art” is absolutely true, especially when you’re dumping creative content out in such large quantities all month. Try surrounding yourself with many different forms of art to stay inspired and ward off the dreaded writer’s block.

If you’re a visual person, start looking for illustrations or pictures that remind you of your novel and characters to inspire your writing. If you like motivational quotes, consider scribbling your favorite ones about writing on sticky notes and place them all over your workspace. If you’re a poetry person, try reading some to spark your creativity. Always keep in mind, however, that art should not be a distraction, but rather an inspiration. So refrain from reading novels or anything too long. Instead, stick to short stories, quotes, or poetry so you don’t get sucked in and find yourself losing valuable writing time.

Another form of art is music. Music is probably the best form of art to consume during NaNoWriMo, because you can be listening while you write instead of pausing your sessions to focus on something else. Writers have different preferences when it comes to music, but by the last week of NaNoWriMo, you’re probably ready to shake things up and find some new tunes. Classical music and film scores make for some of the best music to write to. Classical music is clinically proven to improve focus, while film scores are designed to evoke emotions for particular scenes. Try starting with the score from a film that either inspired your novel or has a similar tone. You can also look for music that fits a specific character or scene. However, don’t fall into the trap of creating playlists right now, because that will become a distraction. Plus, you can easily find playlists that will fit your characters, scenes, or novel as a whole.

Vary Writing Environments

The environment you write in can have a serious impact on your writing. Some writers are more productive alone in a clean and aesthetic space, while others prefer to be surrounded by people who are also working, like at a coffee shop or a library. No matter what your preferences, it helps to change up where you write from time to time. If you’re tired of writing in your home, try and shake things up a bit. Depending on what the restrictions are like where you live, you may be able to write in a coffee shop, surrounded by the smells, sounds, and energy that you find at such places. If that’s not an option, most libraries will let you sit in a quiet corner and write for a few hours. If you live somewhere warm, try writing outside. You could either try finding a bench by a fountain, writing in a local park’s gazebo, or even just hanging up your own hammock. No matter what you choose, getting out of your home and filling your lungs with fresh air will invigorate you.

If you absolutely can’t go anywhere, try changing up your writing space for the last few days of NaNoWriMo to help settle your restlessness. For example, you could rearrange the lights in your home. Switching from bright to soft lighting can really change the way your space feels. Perhaps you can try recreating your favorite coffee shop in your home. Find and play an indie playlist. Buy a milk foamer and learn to make a fun coffee drink.

Your writing environment is traditionally thought of as what surrounds you, but take a look at the writing environment on your computer. The internet puts every distraction at your fingertips, tempting you to scroll through seemingly endless social media feeds, shop online for things you don’t need, and “research” for your novel. It’s too easy to let these distractions fill your writing time. Consider using a program like FocusMe to minimize the distractions and push you to be even more productive.

Don’t Look Back

One of NaNoWriMo’s most crucial rules is “don’t edit.” This is infinitely easier said than done. The inner editor can be so loud and it can be tempting to give in. One of the best ways to combat this is not to look back or reread anything you’ve written. While this is tough, it provides a barrier and forces you to keep moving forward. If you absolutely have to reread your words, then try to do so at the beginning or end of a writing session, so it doesn’t become a distraction or discouragement in the middle.

Another reason not to look back is you risk hating your own words. When this happens, you’ll want to either edit or just straight up delete them. Editing is already banned, so why not delete? Because there may be some worthwhile writing in the passage. Your job in December or January is to sift through and revise. How frustrating would it be if you remembered writing something but couldn’t find it anywhere because you’d deleted it? Rather, leave every word you’ve written alone for now, you’ll have a chance to delete and edit soon enough.

For now, revel in every word written. Each one puts you a step closer to your completed novel.

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How to stay on track during NaNoWriMo

FocusMe Team — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 11:40:36 +0000

How to stay on track during NaNoWriMo

Wondering how on earth you’re going to hit 50,000 words by the end of November? Read on for our top writing hacks

Forget Bonfire Night, or even the fact we’re just weeks away from the official start of the festive season: for many people, November is becoming the most important month of the year for an entirely different reason. National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) sees writers pit themselves against the calendar, as they attempt to put an astounding 50,000 words onto paper in just 30 days.

If you’re attempting to ‘win’ NaNo this month by hitting this (often elusive) target, you may already be wondering what you’ve let yourself in for (*cue that fourth double-shot latte as you try to stay focused*).

After all, the pressure of the blank page can be debilitating – so much so that you keep finding other tasks you just have to do, or scrolling mindlessly on social media – anything in order to avoid the dreaded white abyss.

Of course, if it’s all going to schedule, then keep doing what you’re doing. But if, like many, you fear you may be heading down the same path as Jack Nicholson in The Shining (and let’s be honest, no-one wants that), then read on, as we reveal our top tips to help you nail NaNo this year…

1 Make a plan

In NaNo speak, you’re either a Planner (someone who has done the prep work prior to 1st November) or a Pantser (someone who writes by the seat of their pants, relishing the freedom of the blank page). So when we say ‘make a plan’, we don’t mean you have to have mapped out your storyline to within an inch of its life – after all, this might not be your bag. All we mean is it’s a good idea to know what those 50,000 words breaks down into. Broadly speaking, it’s going to mean jotting down 1,667 words a day. Know you’re not going to be able to write on Saturdays? Then this is going to equate to more like 1,923 words on the days you can write. Some days you might write a little less, some a little more. But knowing roughly how much you’re going to have to get down daily is a good starting place. Missed a week entirely already? It might seem that all is lost but take a deep breath and don’t panic – just do the maths, figure out your daily total as of right now, and hit the ground running once more. You can do it!

2 Find a routine that works for you

A routine is a great way to turn your passion for writing into a habit, so figure out the times of day your writing flows most freely and stick with it daily. Many people find writing in the morning to be the most effective – after all, it’s the time of day where you’ll likely be feeling most refreshed. Whenever you decide to write, try not to be too rigid with your plans, or you might unwittingly stress yourself out if you have to rearrange. Remember, we all have to deal with distractions and disruptions once in a while – your kid gets ill, you’re asked to work an extra shift, you fancy a night off in favour of a glass of wine and a date with Netflix.

As author and mental health advocate Matt Haig famously tweeted, ‘Get a routine baggy enough to live in.’ This advice works for life – and it works for writing, too.

3 Write little and often

Wouldn’t it be lovely if we all had a solid block of time we could dedicate to creative writing each day? Sadly, real life often doesn’t work that way. But rather than sighing into your laptop and declaring you just don’t have the hours, this is where utilising marginal time comes into play – those small pockets of time that wrap around all your other commitments and chores. It could mean writing in the 15 minutes before your kids get up in the morning, or while they do their homework, or in-between work Zoom meetings. Before you know it, those 10- or 15-minute sessions will have added up to a decent chunk of writing and your 1,667 words will be committed to paper before you even realise!

Even if you do get the chance to write in solid stretches, remember that taking regular breaks is highly beneficial. If you find yourself staring at a blank page in despair, don’t stay there for too long – get up, boil the kettle, or head outside for a breath of fresh air or a short walk. The movement will do you good, and chances are your ideas will start to flow freely once more with a short change of scene.

4 Minimise distractions

Be honest: who hasn’t sat down to a writing session, popped online to research a few facts, decided to check in with their local NaNo group on Facebook and then found themselves, 45 minutes later, scrolling through their cousin’s boyfriend’s holiday photos wondering WHERE all the time went?? Yes, social media is a vortex and it’s easy to get sucked in. If this sounds like you (*guiltily raises hand*), it’s time to minimise your online distractions.

Turning off your alerts and notifications can really help. And if you don’t feel you can crack this with willpower alone, a Productivity App, such as FocusMe, can prove invaluable at keeping your attention where it’s needed, and away from time-sucking websites and apps (we’re looking at you, Instagram).

5 Dive in anywhere

Stuck on a particular chapter or scene? Not sure how to get your main character from one place to the next? Don’t waste time fretting about it; simply dive in somewhere else – somewhere where you do have a clearer idea of how your plot is going to unfold. Perhaps write your final scene, or the moment your story reaches its climax. Maybe you have the perfect conversation between two characters mapped out in your head, but you’re not sure exactly where they are or what’s led them together. Don’t worry too much about the details – just get that dialogue down on paper. You never know, jumping around and writing your key scenes may just help the rest of your novel fall perfectly into place.

6 Create a writing space

We know your best ideas will probably come to you when you’re out and about, and that perhaps your favourite scenes will have started life scribbled onto the backs of receipts you’ve found scrunched in your pocket. But despite that, there’s something to be said about having a dedicated writing space to help creativity flow. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – you don’t need a studio or an entire room set aside. But is there a corner of a room or a favourite armchair that you feel most at home in? Might this be the place where creativity flows most freely? Try to ensure it remains clutter free – banish that pile of dirty clothes to the laundry basket and put those used mugs in the dishwasher. And consider placing a houseplant nearby – a 2013 study conducted at the University of Exeter found that working in the proximity of plants helps to aid creativity, boost productivity and improve wellbeing by up to 47 per cent!

7 Don’t be a perfectionist

Let’s make this clear: NaNo is not the time for perfection. Yes, you might usually like to read and rewrite your work, editing and adjusting as you go. And obviously this is great… under normal circumstances.

8 Enjoy the process!

Don’t forget, even though the deadline of 30th November and the 50,000 word count might be making tiny red sirens flash inside your brain, the creative process is meant to be enjoyable. And with the way 2020 has gone, we could all do with a little creativity and fun in our lives right now. So by all means aim high, but don’t forget that the enjoyment doesn’t lie solely in hitting your target. Do your best to stay in the moment, savour the creative process and relish the fact you’re bringing your imagination to life on the page in front of you.

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The One Internet Setting That Gives You Your Life Back

FocusMe Team — Sat, 30 May 2020 13:33:11 +0000

The internet is by and large distracting… Entertaining, informative, useful, but also we can get so lost!

In this day and age, practically everyone has experience losing hours of their life to scrolling on social media, clicking around here and there, youtubing, gaming, and googling who the spouse is of some interesting celebrity who just flashed across the screen… Who is she? Right?!

It’s pretty ridiculous where we end up sometimes…

So in the spirit of living a productive, healthy, meaningful life, let’s look at one powerful gamechanger you could actually set up tonight to keep you from mindless interneting in the months and years to come.

This one structure can dramatically improve your daily mental health, give you a boost in physical health, relationships, money, and life purpose.

So here’s what it is:

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Blocking Yourself From Accessing The Internet From Evening To Morning

What does that mean exactly?

It means using a productivity app or other method to arrange that you literally cannot get on the internet from a specific time at night until a specific time in the morning.

You’re protecting a portion of your day. It could be 8pm to 8am, it could be 10pm to 7am – the specific time frame is up to you.

You block yourself from opening any and all of your browsers, devices, apps, phones, from all games, from everything you addictively consume. And there are straight-forward ways to set this up for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a mystery!

Here’s What Happens When You Protect Your Evenings, Nights, And Early Mornings

When you make the choice to return to your life, your relationships, your dreams, and health every single evening, night, and early morning you’re saying yes to the real you.

The real you cares deeply about your life! But we get stressed. The world weighs on us. And we are bombarded with digital distractions 24/7.

So, no wonder you’re out there scrolling away, numbing yourself like so many of us do.

“Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.”
– Saint Augustine

We simply forget our higher selves. But consider this… What if you made time for:

Doing the things you’ve been neglecting or avoiding to do
Spending quality time with your friends and family
Getting enough sleep and exercise
Reading books
Meditating or attending to your spiritual life
Making plans for a bigger vision you always wanted in your life

How would you feel mentally and emotionally? How would you feel about yourself?

If you protected, say, 12 hours everyday from mindless internet activity, what could you achieve?

It’s really an exciting prospect, when you think about it. You could get your life back, day by day.

So, How Do You Do It?

There are different apps, softwares, services, and structures you could arrange in your life. You will know what’s best for you, but below we will explain how the FocusMe app can block you from the internet.

After you install the FocusMe app, it’s time to set up your “plan”. There are already a few default plans created for you, and one is called “Block Internet”. This is the one for you!

You will follow the prompts to make sure it’s set up the way you need. Getting the hang of the FocusMe app will not be difficult. Not only do we have tutorial videos, but also we are available to support you every day.

There is a special feature to FocusMe, which is that, if you choose, you cannot uninstall the app. For some of us, this is a critical piece of the puzzle. Because once your plan is running (on all devices), it’s set and that’s that —

You’re free. Free to return to your life, knowing that the internet will always be there for you for 12 other hours of the day.

This one setting is a game changer because it gives you a huge boost towards your goals, a taste of integrity, and freedom from sundown internet time warps.

Tips For Success

There are a few things that will help you be successful blocking yourself from going on the internet during the evenings, nights, and early mornings.

Catch yourself in your higher self mood and go for it then. You will want to set up your new powerful habits when you’re in the right mindset. Otherwise, you risk setting up a weak plan that doesn’t truly serve you.

Watch for loopholes. Keep modifying your settings with the app, different devices, and with the time of day. Stay on top of your progress!

Set up an accountability person in your life. Seriously. Screen addiction is a thing.

The Future Is Yours

When you’re ready, you’re ready. And if you’re not, that’s okay!

But if it’s time to gain back some serious hours, your vitality, and what matters most in your life – block the internet from the evening to morning and see what happens.

The FocusMe team is here for you. We are delighted to help you get all set up, so don’t be shy to reach out.

Here’s to your happy healthy life!

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5 Easy Ways to Unleash Your Creativity and to Keep Yourself Inspired

FocusMe Team — Mon, 25 May 2020 13:00:55 +0000

Do you feel like you’ve lost your creativity? A hectic schedule and a ton of work can do that to even the most inspired of individuals. Luckily, simple strategies exist to help you get your creativity back.

Rediscovering your creative thinking is often a matter of a few basic adjustments. You don’t have to go through a massive transformation in order to become inspired and productive once again. Here are five of the approaches bound to give you a good result.

Break Up Your Routine a Bit

Your routine is probably making you feel comfortable but quite often, it’s the one thing that keeps you stuck.

A simple change in your everyday work/life pattern can help you rediscover exciting moments and seek inspiration in them.

Don’t get in the car and drive to the office – walk instead. A morning walk through the city will show you so many beautiful things – the colors of nature, the scent of freshly brewed coffee, the city noises and the diversity of people walking by. Stop by a little coffee shop, get yourself a bagel and a warm beverage. A little change like this one is all you need to start feeling awake and excited about the day.

The same rule applies to your working habits. Choose to tackle projects in unusual ways if you want to come up with creative solutions and a better execution than what you’d typically deliver.

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Deal with Distractions

You may fail to realize it but little distractions can quickly accumulate and sabotage your creativity efforts.

Coming up with inspired solutions necessitates some concentration. If the process is broken and you are not 100 percent invested, chances are that you’ll fail unleashing your full creative potential.

To work in a creative way, many people would say that they’d need to “get in the zone.” Facebook, phone and email don’t really contribute to being in the zone and staying there when you need to get the work done.

Improve your work environment to get rid of the distractions. You can employ various solutions to eliminate the mundane things standing in your way. FocusMe is one of these solutions. It’s a pretty simple productivity app that blocks out digital distractions, helps with scheduling and boosting your performance. You will not be disappointed if you employ a distraction killer like this one.

Stop Devoting Time to Mundane Tasks

Let’s face it – our everyday routines rarely involve creative work. Most of the time, we have to deal with mundane and mediocre tasks that we can easily handle in our sleep.

To find inspiration, you have to let go of these irrelevant assignments. Finding it difficult to delegate is keeping you from focusing on pressing, creative and strategic tasks. Minutiae can easily drown you and make you forget about what really matters.

Take some time to analyze your day and find out what activities you’re dedicating the most time to. Are these activities meaningful and in line with your skills/competencies? If the answer is no, you will probably have to find someone else to handle the respective tasks.

To be creative and inspired, you have to challenge yourself. Obviously, you cannot do that by engaging in work you’ve been doing for years, work you could complete with your eyes closed (and your hands tied behind your back

Failing to delegate is not doing you or anyone else a favor. It keeps you from moving forward with your career and it also prevents your colleagues from acquiring new skills and stepping up the professional ladder.

Just Start Working

Many people refuse “just working” on a project until inspiration strikes.

Are you one of these people?

Are you waiting for the perfect beginning, the perfect moment or the perfect idea?

If the answer to these questions is yes, you’re missing out on an amazing opportunity to actually find inspiration in the work process itself.

Starting is the most difficult thing, especially if you’re not feeling the thing that you’re doing 100 percent.

Change your mindset and find the courage to just start. It may not be perfect, in fact, your idea may suck. As you become more and more invested in the execution, however, you will fine tune and enhance the original concept.

It’s very difficult to be inspired by something shapeless and vague. As a result, you’ll keep on postponing those first steps indefinitely. Try the other approach instead and you’ll be surprised by how quickly a basic idea can be elevated to the next level.

Limit the Amount of Planning You Do

All professionals plan ahead of time to do a good job and meet a deadline. Excessive planning, however, can be one of the biggest productivity killers.

While a bit of planning will still be essential to execute a project professionally, you have to give yourself some opportunity to improvise.

Excessive planning can limit self-expression and the pursuit of new ideas. We engage in planning to limit the risk of mistakes. At the same time, however, we may be limiting the opportunities and the ways in which an idea can be brought to fruition.

Give yourself a little opportunity to be spontaneous during project creation. You don’t need to improvise all the way through. Straying from the typical routine or the plan, however, could surprise you.

Adhering to what’s common and expected will make it impossible for you to explore the unexpected. The unexpected is precisely where creativity hides. Work routines are good and they speed things up. At the same time, however, you will need to do something fresh once in a while to get those inspirational juices flowing.

A final thing you need to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes.

Mistakes are learning opportunities. Most of the time, they can be corrected quickly and without consequences. Giving yourself the chance to make mistakes means giving yourself an opportunity to explore new avenues, to find what you’re capable of and to have fun. Don’t be afraid of mistakes and novelty. Once you accept these as a normal part of the work process, you will get inspired much more easily.

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Eradicate Your Unhealthy Habits with the Power of Community

FocusMe Team — Mon, 18 May 2020 13:16:34 +0000

In order to let go of an addiction – whether it be to food, screens, alcohol, etc. – there’s nothing that compares to a strong support community.

Because what is the opposite of community (supportive relationships)? Isolation.

And what is the perfect environment for bingeing, indulging, and losing ourselves to unhealthy habits? Isolation.

An alcoholic hides their drinking problem…

A food addict goes on a binge in the privacy of their home…

A screen addict loses hours of their day and no one notices…

Isolation is a killer!

In contrast, what happens when we have real people pooling resources, strategies, and motivation together to ensure everyone is supported? The addiction can actually become a thing of the past. And guess what? You can find both in-person and online support communities for people just like you. So it’s not this elusive thing, support is a click away.

Let’s discuss how a support community might be the missing ticket to conquering your lower self.

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Other People’s Victories Are Inspiring

When you see people struggling and winning in the exact same battle you’re fighting, it creates incredible motivation. It gives you hope. When you cheer them on, you’re cheering yourself on. When you celebrate major milestones with each other, you create a positive community vibe that seriously inspires everyone involved to keep it going.

Accountability Relationships Rock

Accountability is telling a friend or coach or a community, “Hey, I commit to XYZ today, or this week.” You report what the commitment is, and then you report back how it went. It’s a way to reflect on what works, what doesn’t, and keep growing.

The Think Tank Factor

Why reinvent the wheel when you can literally follow the path of experts and experienced people who know exactly how to tackle your particular addiction? They know the ins and outs. They are making themselves available to you. You all can be in it together, sharing tips and tricks to reclaim your freedom. No small thing!

Emotional Support

When things get hard, and they do, you need a place to turn to. A place to vent and say, “Hey, I really want to get in the car and go buy a tub of ice cream!” Or, “Guys, I literally just spent four hours gaming. Help!”

Human beings need emotional support. It’s an innate need. Honor that reality so that you can thrive in your (very) human experience.

Collective Vision for Humanity

You recovering from your addiction is about more than just your individual life. It will naturally include supporting other people to get free. It’s actually thrilling to be a part of a movement that creates transformation of body, mind, and spirit.

How big can the movement get? How many hundreds or thousands of people could be released from their addiction and live their life purpose? It’s exciting. And – side benefit – the bigger vision is a huge motivation factor in your transformation.

FocusMe…

When we embrace a support community, we’re bringing our challenges out into the light.

We’re being honest and asking for help.

We’re taking a stand that our pride is not more important than our freedom from unwanted unhealthy habits.

The FocusMe Team has been meditating on this lately…

How can we support you even better? What could be next-level support for you to truly get free from your screen or internet or device addictions? Comment below or email us at support@focusme.com.

Getting distracted by technology and screens and gaming is truly an epidemic! We all need to be asking, “How can we support each other?”.

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5 Reasons to Reduce Your Exposure to Negative News & How to Do It

FocusMe Team — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 13:16:55 +0000

It’s important to be aware of local, national, and world events – but at what cost?

How many hours do you give away to staying up-to-date with the news?

What’s the healthy boundary and what are healthy alternatives to news addiction?

Because let’s face it, there are a lot of terrible things going on in this world, but there’s only one YOU and the world needs YOU feeling hopeful.

So let’s take a look at five reasons you might want to minimize your exposure to negative news and what you can do to stay in the know.

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1. The news is skewed toward the negative.

Negative news grabs our attention and captures the imagination. That’s why news outlets offer mostly negative news. It triggers fear in us and we end up being glued to the news.

When our emotions are wrapped up in what we are watching, we usually keep watching to see if there is a resolution. However, there’s really no end to the news. It keeps coming, all day every day.

We need to use discernment about how much negativity you want to flow into your life. Consider the harm that exposure to depressing, violent, dangerous, or sad news can have on your mental and emotional state.

2. It’s temporary and oftentimes sensationalized.

The news is temporary. What’s captivating one day is old news the next. So if you’re riding the wave of one sensational news story after the next – when will it stop? Think about that…

I’m not proposing that you keep your head in the sand, but the news does not sustain you. It’s important, but it likely won’t uphold your life goals.

Additionally, the news is often presented in a sensational way. A lot of what gets aired ends up being empty of real substance… So not only should we reduce exposure to negative news, but be cautious about which news outlets you listen to.

3. People who watch negative news are more likely to be stressed or anxious.

Studies have been done on people who watch the news. Do you know what was found? Watching the news causes an increase in stress and anxiety.

We are likely to think catastrophically about our lives and the challenges we encounter. It seems that negative news trains the mind to think in a negative way…

For that reason alone, it’s worth considering what role negative news plays in your life.

4. You don’t want to live like a slave to your addictions.

If you feel addicted to watching, hearing, or reading the news, you might be stuck in a habit that controls you. When you do not feel in control of your habits, you can lose a sense of integrity and also perspective.

You might think, “Oh, I have to watch the evening news segment. That’s my routine and I like the news anchor.” Ok that’s fine, but observe your mind…

Does it feel like a “need” or like you “have to”? Do you feel attached? What would you feel like if you did not consume the news?

Do certain events trigger you to overly consume the news in a way that’s getting out of balance?

5. You want to focus on what matters most.

By reducing exposure to negative news, you’re creating space for what you really want to do with your life.

Listen to this how this Columnist for USA Today, Jeff Stibel, reported on his experience of kicking his news addiction habit:

“Since dropping the habit, I am more focused on things that matter. Conversations seem to have more depth, time seems more available for family and friends, and my understanding of what is really happening in the world has actually increased. This past weekend, while everyone else was fixated on the latest news eruption from Washington, I spent my time painting with my daughter. It may be ironic that a columnist gave up the news, but who better than someone steeped in the stew to show that there are more fulfilling meals.”

You get to decide how you spend your time – not the news stations and not your addictions!

Stay informed, but balanced…

Here are four ways you can keep a healthy relationship with the news:

Select your news sources wisely.

Look for outlets that are not sensational and that also broadcast positive news stories.

Subscribe to a monthly publication.

You can keep up-to-date with monthly publications that cover the bigger highlights of what’s happening in our world.

Ask (or let) friends and family keep you up-to-date on the essential news you need to know.

Most likely you are surrounded by people who will share important news with you without even asking. But if not, you can request someone in your life to let you know important news.

Set up a website-blocking app to block your access to addictive news sites for certain periods of the day.

This is a simple way to manage your news consumption. Do you want to check just one news outlet once in the morning? FocusMe supports you to do just that. You can create a “plan” that’s completely customizable, that blocks you from all news sites except the one you want to view when you want to view it.

Your emotional health matters. Your mental health is vital. The world is going to carry on in its own way, but what about your life. How do you want to spend your time? What impact do you want to make?

Take care of yourself. And if the news has got you down – tune it out. Take charge, it’s actually quite easy!

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How Work-at-Home (Homeschooling!?) Parents Can Stay Sane During This Pandemic

FocusMe Team — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 13:07:12 +0000

It is an uncertain scary time we are living in – shelter-in-place orders around the globe, schools closed, people sent home from work, and a dangerous virus travelling around the planet. It’s just an unprecedented time…

And, for some of us – we’re trying to keep up with work, home, children, and our children’s education at the same time in the same home. Day after day after day.

It’s nearly impossible! And enough to cause parents to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and just beside themselves…

But today we want to share with you some sanity-saving strategies to cut down the stress by at least half as soon as you implement them.

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#1 Lower Your Standards

This could go without saying, but you might not have realized it yet. Because life got crazy.

But it’s time to lower your standards in the home, of yourself, of your partner, and of your children.

What this looks like practically is letting the house get messier than usual and letting meals be simple. You can sweep the floors less often, eat rice and beans for lunch, serve a simple pot of oatmeal for dinner, and focus on connection to your loved ones instead.

Trade out the stress about household cleanliness for sitting down to read a book to your child. Connecting with your family in a loving way matters more right now than keeping up the standard of how you are used to living.

It’s a different time.

At the same time, if you’re on edge and easily irritated, be compassionate with yourself. Understand your humanness, and let it be okay. You do actually love your family members, but you’re stressed. Every day is a new day and you can start over anytime.

Speaking of your partner and children, are you sort of on top of each other constantly now, in the same house, isolated, and social distancing? That. Is. Hard.

But it will be less challenging for you when you decide to be kind to your family members. This means treating them with respect and patience. Lower your standards of what you expect from them, and be more flexible. Try to understand what life is like for them.

Lowering your standards as much as you can automatically reduces tension because you’re choosing to be okay with the pandemic messy life you get to live right now. Accept reality and find more peace instantly.

#2 Create Your Daily Rhythm

You have to have a rhythm to the day, because the opposite of rhythm is actually chaos. Sorry to break it to you!

But you can make your rhythm, or schedule, work for your family instead of it becoming a self-imposed pressure-filled prison. No – don’t do that!

Here’s an example of a simple doable rhythm to keep your family flowing with the days ahead:

8:00am Breakfast + Chores
9:00am Homeschooling
10:30am Kids Play While Parents Work
12:30pm Lunch + Chores + Rest
3:00pm Kids Play While Parents Work
6:00pm Dinner + Chores + Bedtime
8:00pm Lights Out for the Children

Your life will obviously look different, but the essential thing is to get into a routine and keep it simple.

Regarding homeschooling, do yourself a huge favor and lower your expectations on this too!

Your children will survive and can become healthy thriving adults without you pretending you can recreate school at home.

Do you know what will help your children right now?

30 minutes of creativity or time outdoors
30 minutes of reading/writing
30 minutes of math practice

If they do the above 4-5 days a week during the pandemic, you will have supported their education and you can rest well at night.

Your rhythm is there to reduce chaos and power struggles. Let that calming rhythm wash right over you.

#3 Set Up Healthy Boundaries

When we’re stressed, we turn to our coping mechanisms and addictive behaviors…

Eating more food lately? Binge-scrolling on IG like never before? How’s your sleep and self-care?

Be strong for your family and get into some reasonably healthy habits. This supports each day of your quarantine life to be one of integrity and genuine connection.

Spiraling downward into your lower-self, on the other hand, makes it more likely that you are arguing, unhappy, feeling sick, and losing energy.

What are some healthy boundaries you want set up right now?

Here are a few ideas to consider (you know which ones you need!):

Going to bed at a reasonable time
Getting enough sleep
Waking up at a reasonable time
Eating three healthy meals per day
Creating balanced screen-time habits for yourself and your children
Taking care of your mental/emotional needs
Getting enough physical movement
Getting enough recreation and downtime

This pandemic is not an excuse to throw your healthy habits out the window. In fact, it’s your cue to increase those things that make you feel good about life, about your loved ones, and help you keep perspective.

Take Care of You

This work-at-home/homeschooling/social-distancing life is truly remarkable. And in the background of trying to stay focused and just function at home, is terrifying news and a world of anxiety and distress.

We need each other to keep it together.

Your job right now is to manage your own life, at home, as it is, children and all – and you can do it.

When you lower your standards, create a simple rhythm to your days, and uphold healthy boundaries you’re setting your family up to support other families who are struggling.

Be the leader of your life, your family, and in your community. We’re all in this together.

Do what you can with what you have and know that that’s enough!

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How Come You’re Dreading Your School Work and What to Do Instead

FocusMe Team — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 13:56:11 +0000

You’re in school (or college). The assignments keep coming. The semesters keep coming.

You have your goal to graduate… But along the way…

You get distracted.

Everything else in your life seems way more interesting than your school work!

Then you feel guilty for avoiding writing that paper. Or, you feel pressure to cram for an exam at the last minute…

The school life struggle is REAL.

So, how come your mind has you absolutely convinced that you dread school work, don’t want to do it, and you end up procrastinating and stressing yourself out?

What can you possibly do to get out of the cycle of hating your studies?

Because you’re choosing this path. You could walk away, and that’s a valid option, but if you haven’t quit, you’re committed to stay in the game.

And, you do have power over your mindset and habits while you’re choosing to get this degree.

Let’s look at what you can do instead of dreading your school life – right now.

There’s one simple but powerful change you can implement immediately, and keep using, while you’re in school or college.

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Get in touch with a “get to” mentality.

Take a look at your consciousness. Do you feel like you “have to” do these assignments?

Examine this deeply. Do you really have no choice in whether you do another homework assignment again? Do you realize that you can exit this path right now, if you want? Maybe that doesn’t make any sense to do, but it IS an option to just quit. You can walk away. That’s not what this article is recommending, but in order to feel truly empowered and “at choice”, you need to remember this – that you have a choice to end your journey in school.

And, it’s a choice to stay on the path. Each day that you do not quit the program, you are assertively choosing to honor your goal. You do not have to stay in school. You get to.

“I get to” is a mindset. You can repeat it, say out loud, or journal about it. It’s a way to remember your power.

“I get to do this homework because I have a vision for my future that excites me.”

“I get to study because actually, this topic is fascinating and I actually love it.”

“I get to sacrifice doing something fun for staying home and studying and it builds my self-discipline and character.”

Here’s an example of what you can do anytime you feel total and utter dread to sit down and do your school work. Get out your journal or a piece of paper (or a google doc), and write out at least 15 solid reasons you get to do this work.

Why is it a privilege? Why are you in school? What is interesting about the topic? How can your work become a real service in the world, or for your classmates, or your teacher? How can you make it interesting and work for you?

Get real with yourself – do you want to get this degree? Journal about that. Because if you completely forget the bigger picture, you’re more likely to get swamped by the immediate obstacles and challenges.

And there will be challenges on the way towards any goal you orient yourself towards. It’s life. But you do not need to suffer unnecessarily. You can rise above your lower self which is urging you to scroll on Instagram and do anything but write that “dreaded” 10-page paper…

You have power over those trains of thoughts.

An “I have to” mentality will drag you down, making you feel like a victim (when you’re very likely not at all), and it’s hampering your natural enjoyment of life. Explore your reasons for being in school, get in touch with your power of choice, and remember the bigger picture – your why.

You get to study!

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Did you know we offer 30% off the FocusMe app for all students and educational staff?! Click here to apply.

Here’s a recent testimonial we got from a student:

“Most useful app I used so far.

I refrained so far to give a review because I wanted to see if I can find a way to ‘trick the app’, but the features it brings are awesome, like the forced mode.

I can’t compare it with anything really. I tried apps with similar purpose and functions but I always found a way to ‘trick them’ into going back to something that’s not healthy for me. It saved my skin from procrastination. I’m not sure I could have made the change into being more productive without it.

Now I study about 8 hours a day alone in the house. Tried to do that for years and it never worked for long periods of time.”

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10 Toxic Habits That Keep You Away from Your Goals

FocusMe Team — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 14:00:34 +0000

You’ve definitely heard the saying that you’re your own worst enemy. This saying can apply to just about every aspect of life. As human beings, we’re very good at sabotaging our own efforts to find a meaningful relationship, excel at our jobs and be successful.

Many toxic habits and behaviors could be keeping you from realizing your full potential.

Addressing all of those can be challenging but taking the process one step at a time will deliver actual, noticeable improvements.

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1. Setting the Wrong Goals

You’re not going to be productive if you are setting the wrong goals.

Many people focus on the wrong things – everyday microtasks or distractions that are keeping them from tackling the real project.

Take some time to think about what you’re focusing your efforts on. Is it meaningful? Will it help you move forward in your job, personal life or relationship? Will it have a sensible impact on your life? These are the goals you should be focusing on. Other, smaller and less important projects can be postponed or forgotten altogether.

2. Getting Distracted by Everyday Things

How much time do you spend on Facebook each day?

The latest study shows that the average user today is spending two hours and 22 minutes per day on social media.

Is this time enriching you? Is it giving you something meaningful or are you just wasting your most precious resource?

Control distractions by putting together a clean and minimal work environment. Relying on productivity tools is another great choice if you’re finding it impossible to handle the distractions on your own.

3. Being a Workaholic

You may think that spending all of your time at the office is the way to achieve your career goals. This isn’t the case.

Numerous studies have already confirmed the fact that long hours at the office don’t make you more productive.

Set a daily goal in terms of personal happiness and spending quality time with friends and loved ones. Exercise, eat the right foods, go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Balanced living is the number one way to achieve your professional (and your personal) goals.

4. Always Saying Yes

Do you find it impossible to turn down people who are asking you for a favor? Guess what, you’re only harming yourself when you can’t refuse on someone’s wish.

The inability to say no will eventually get you so burdened that you’ll find it impossible to thrive and deliver optimal performance.

Learn to set healthy boundaries. Do help others if you have the time for it. If you don’t, you will have to master the art of declining help requests politely.

5. An All or Nothing Approach

While some may think that perfectionism is a good thing, it really isn’t in the grand scheme of things.

An all or nothing approach prevents you from meeting your goals, even if the outcome isn’t up to your own requirements.

Let go of perfectionism and celebrate successes (even if you’ve envisioned something different). You’ll soon find yourself much more capable of relaxing and appreciating your own accomplishments.

6. Under-Sleeping

Chronic under-sleeping is common in this day and age but it’s a serious issue you need to address right now.

Research shows that you need to let your body rest in order to maintain a high productivity level. People who sleep at least 7.5 hours each night report feeling much happier and more productive than those who sleep less than six hours per night.

7. Allowing Negative Thoughts and Limiting Ideas in Your Life

“I can’t do it.”

“I’m not good enough to complete the project on my own.”

How often do you tell yourself you can’t do something, you don’t have the skills or the knowledge to make a change in your life happen?

Negative self-talk is something that most of us share. Regardless of this fact, it’s detrimental and it needs to be nipped in the bud.

Limiting beliefs limit your potential. Start focusing on the things you can do, the activities you’re good at. A conscious shift towards positive thinking will also impact your actions and your self-image. Once the confidence gets established, you’ll be unstoppable.

8. Drinking Too Much Coffee

While caffeine can boost your energy, excessive reliance on caffeinated beverages is a toxic little habit you need to address.

Caffeinated beverages are dehydrating. If you don’t drink enough water, you’ll feel sluggish and you’ll quickly lose focus. Getting in more H2O and bringing down the caffeine level can change that. Start with slow changes – if you drink four espressos per day, eliminate one of those. Switch one of your coffees for green tea and you’ll soon notice the difference.

9. Comparing Yourself to Others

The fact that someone has accomplished a milestone in five days (or they say so) does not mean you need to deliver in the exact same amount of time.

Comparing yourself to others makes you focus on the wrong things. All of us have specific abilities and work methods. Think about what you could do to optimize your overall process, rather than what would enable you to achieve the exact same results as a colleague or a friend.

10. Judging Others

Judging others is the final toxic habit that’s keeping you from achieving your goals.

That’s right, an outward focus on another human being is standing in the way of your success.

What are you accomplishing by judging someone rich and thinking about what they’ve done to get where they are in life? Why do you need to wonder about poor people and whether they’re lazy?

You are taking attention away from the things that matter – your abilities and your goals.

Live and let live. Everyone has their cross to bear. Focus on yourself and celebrate the accomplishments of others. Maintain a positive mindset and deal with your work-life balance. These are the biggest essentials you need to master today. If you accomplish these goals, there will be nothing holding you back.

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The Best Books and TED Talks About Productivity

FocusMe Team — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:00:50 +0000

Identifying the right productivity and motivation approach that will work for your team isn’t always an easy task. Dynamics inside the company change over time and the methodology that delivered excellent results some time ago is not necessarily going to yield the same result this time around.

Learning from the experience of others and finding motivation in their work can really help you fine-tune your strategy.

The good news is that you can easily find sources of inspiration online.

There are so many TED talks and books about productivity, team engagement and dynamics. Today, we will take a look at some of the top works you need to get through as a team manager or an HR department employee.

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Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

According to many reviewers, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen is the number one book on the topic.

While the book was released back in 2002, the author recently gave it a more contemporary update to address today’s realities.

Allen bases his entire work on a simple but very important premise – the productivity of every single individual out there is directly proportional to their ability to relax. Based on this premise, Allen designed a productivity framework every individual out there could customize to address their specific needs.

The only downside to Allen’s work is that making the change happen necessitates a lot of discipline. While some people do swear by his system, others find it a bit difficult to follow.

The Happy Secret to Better Work

The Happy Secret to Better Work by Shawn Achor is a short TED speech that’s a little over 12-minute long. It is considered one of the best presentations about productivity for several reasons.

According to Achor, one very simple thing is the foundation of consistent productivity – happiness.

For many people, work happens the other way around – productivity makes them happy. We are often told that we need to work harder in order to be happy. Achor makes a solid argument about the faultiness of this premise. His TED talk is a must-watch if you want to get more done and feel good about the process.

The 4-Hour Workweek

Here’s another great book about productivity that takes a somewhat different approach to the issue.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss introduces a new concept that doesn’t involve spending lengthy hours in the office every single day. In fact, it teaches how to get a lot more done in a limited amount of time.

The book is based on the author’s actual experience. He went from the standard 9 to 5 office dynamic to working four hours per week and earning more money.

This is more of a book for those who are interested in becoming their own boss, starting a business or enjoying telecommuting opportunities. A book like this one will probably appeal the most to a millennial audience and to those who want some flexibility.

How to Make Stress Your Friend

Anyone who deals with productivity enhancement knows that stress isn’t anyone’s friend when it comes to getting a job done.

A TED talk by Kelly McGonigal, however, argues that stress could be beneficial in the realm of being productive and engaged.

How to Make Stress Your Friend discusses the fact that we’re all exposed to stress and that it has been declared a public health enemy. McGonigal is a psychologist who argues that stress can be a positive thing and introduces a new perspective to the discussion.

She also talks about the best ways to overcome stress. In her opinion, reaching out to others is the best and the most effective mechanism we should all start employing today.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is another classic in the realm of productivity. There are several reasons why a book that was first published in 1989 has remained so popular till present day.

Covey is a renowned leadership mentor and organization consultant. Till present, his book about productivity has sold over 25 million copies across the globe and the numbers continue to climb. Because of his accomplishments, Covey was included among the 25 most influential Americans of Time magazine.

The book is not a system of getting things done. Rather, it speaks of work and lifestyle changes that can be internalized for better outcomes in just about every area of life. This book has been read and reviewed by actual managers and CEOs who swear by its effectiveness.

The Effective Executive

Another book on our list, The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker is a business essential.

The book was written by an experienced management consultant who mostly talks about prioritizing. You will learn how to get rid of the things that stand in your way, how to streamline daily activities and eliminate the habits that are keeping you from realizing your full potential.

While the above paragraph may sound too much like an ad, the book has a ton of positive reviews that stand as evidence of its effectiveness.

Peter F. Drucker, who passed away in 2005, is still considered one of the top thinkers and intellectuals of his time. Over the course of his life, Drucker wrote more than 25 books. His first work came into existence back in 1939 and his concepts have had a profound impact on the way in which a modern corporation is run. Thus, The Effective Executive is a must-read for every manager and entrepreneur.

These are just some of the great works that will expose you to new ideas about productivity. If you dig a little bit deeper, you will definitely discover books and speeches that can answer the very specific questions you have. If you go to the TED talk website, you can do a thorough search on the topic of productivity and acquaint yourself with many of the bright minds that have presented their specific visions to the world.

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