5 ways to improve focus and be more productive: Expert tips to help you get through your to-do list

Focusing on work and other projects is hard, and it’s getting harder. Who among us doesn’t have a to-do list that seems to be getting longer by the hour? Add in the endless — and distracting — news cycle and the constant alerts that come with being connected 24/7, and it can feel impossible to get anything done.

That said, focusing is crucial to making headway on those to-dos, from the mundane admin of everyday life (washing the car, putting away the laundry) to meatier tasks that require more attention (filing taxes, wrapping up that important work presentation). How do we knuckle down and get through it? Yahoo Life turned to productivity experts for answers.

The good news? “Focus is a skill that can be cultivated with practice, mindfulness and the right tools," Brian Smith, organizational psychologist and founder of IA Business Advisors, tells Yahoo Life.

Here are five top tips to help.

Put everything (and we mean everything) on your calendar

Nearly every expert we spoke with stressed the importance of using calendars for every little thing. “I'm a big fan of calendaring every task and bite-size action item,” says time management expert Kelly Nolan. “In addition to it giving you a game plan of how to get things done and ensuring your overall workload is realistic, it helps you let go of other tasks so you can focus on the one at hand.”

Productivity expert Erica Anderson Rooney adds another step to the calendaring. “Tack on an extra 15 minutes,” she suggests. Even if you think a phone call will only take 15 minutes, book it for 30 minutes so you have time if you need it. "Allowing yourself a buffer in the day lets you close out tasks with intention and decreases stress when timelines start creeping in.”

Sleep

It sounds simple, but being well-rested makes a big difference. “Prioritize a consistent sleep schedule,” says professional organizer and productivity expert Samantha Bryan. “Lack of sleep reduces cognitive function and concentration.”

“One of the most effective things you can do is improve your sleep,” agrees Nolan. “I recommend using your calendar to block the hours of sleep you want, along with when you need to start winding down to get that sleep too.”

Silvia de Denaro Vieira, productivity expert and CEO of home management app Coexist, also stresses the importance of sleep hygiene. “Keep your phone out of the bedroom," she tells Yahoo Life. "It’s a simple change, but it can prevent endless doom-scrolling at night. Replace screen time with relaxing activities like journaling, reading or sketching.”

Those healthy habits should help you get a better night's sleep. "We all sleep, but if you're sleeping with a lot of issues on your mind, you are limiting your rest," says motivational speaker and empowerment coach Keith L. Brown. "Limited rest will produce limited focus.”

Stay off social media

Social media is a focus sucker, experts say. “Lock up your social apps, and put your phone on 'do not disturb,'" says Anderson Rooney.

If you can't resist the temptation to log back on, you might need other tools to help you stop scrolling until your task is done. "Use an app like Opal to block yourself out of certain apps at certain times of day,” Nolan suggests. “For example, you could have it block you out of Instagram during your workday."

“Our phones are engineered to grab and hold our attention," de Denaro Vieira adds. "I like to physically move mine out of sight. Disable notifications on your laptop too, and instead schedule a couple of designated times to check your email or messages. This small habit can make a big difference.”

Find your best focus window

No two people are exactly the same, so there is no one-size-fits-all suggestion of when in your day you’ll be the most focused. That said, a few experts agree that early morning is the best time for focus-heavy tasks; “rising early before life starts living can be beneficial," Brown notes.

“The best time to focus and increase productivity during the day is different for each person,” says Alex Zhezherau, productivity and project management expert at workflow management platform Wrike. “It’s essential to find out when you’re most productive to personalize your schedule accordingly.”

Anderson Rooney recommends that everyone do what she calls an “energy audit.” “Starting when you wake up, until you go to bed, in 15-minute intervals, log how you feel energy-wise on a scale of 1 to 10,” she advises. “Notice when your energy peaks and when it slows to a stop. Then schedule your day around your energy highs and lows.”

Break big tasks into nonscary chunks

For many people, the size of a task can be so intimidating that focus is nowhere to be found. Many experts suggest using a technique called SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) to get things done. “Break tasks into smaller, manageable segments. Set clear, SMART goals for each segment,” suggests Smith. “This anchors your attention to the present task.”

“Break down work into manageable chunks,” agrees Bryan. “Use time-blocking techniques to dedicate set periods of time for specific tasks, and make sure to prioritize the most important tasks first. Setting small, actionable goals within that time block helps to maintain motivation and focus.” If your big task is doing a major house decluttering, for example, you might start with less daunting tasks like "toss expired items out of the pantry." If it's doing your taxes, break that up into tasks such as setting up an appointment with a tax adviser, gathering any W-2s or 1099s you need or going through bank statements one month at a time.

As for what time-blocking techniques work best, many experts suggest the Pomodoro method. “I recommend the Pomodoro technique to anyone who struggles to stay focused for extended periods,” says Ryan Matt Reynolds, author of Undoing Urgency: Reclaim Your Time for the Things that Matter Most. “Set your timer and work for 25 minutes completely undistracted. Take a five-minute break. Repeat as necessary.”

“You might be overwhelmed by the size of the project and the lack of clarity around it,” adds Nolan. “Try breaking it down into smaller steps and sprinkling them over time in your calendar to make the tasks less overwhelming and murky.”