Psychological techniques for those whose anxiety interferes with their studies or work

Contents:

• What should be done in advance
• What you need to take care of immediately before work
• What is useful to do during and after the task

When anxiety and worry take over, focusing on tasks that require mental effort becomes difficult. This could involve preparing for a lesson, a webinar, or developing an online course or training. At such times, it's important to find ways to manage stress and improve concentration. Use breathing techniques or take short breaks to recharge. Eliminating distractions and creating a comfortable work environment can also help return focus to important tasks. Using time management and planning techniques can significantly increase productivity and reduce anxiety. Psychologist Tatyana Pavlova shares recommendations on how to cope with negative thoughts and focus on work. We often struggle with concentration due to obsessive thoughts, which can negatively impact productivity. Tatyana recommends using several techniques to return focus to tasks. It's important to recognize that negative thoughts are a normal part of life, but their impact can be minimized. Practicing meditation, journaling, or simple breathing exercises can help clear the mind and restore focus. Start with small steps to gradually return to your work rhythm and increase your efficiency.

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To understand how to improve concentration at work, it's important to first identify what's interfering with it. One of the most common causes is anxiety. It negatively impacts working memory, or RAM, and diverts our attention from current tasks to the source of our worries. This is confirmed by research conducted by psychologists from the University of Turku in Finland. Reducing anxiety levels can help improve concentration and increase productivity at work.

When a person is anxious about a possible job loss, their thoughts often shift to alternative employment options, stockpiling food, or urgently learning new skills, such as IT. As a result, the attention and resources that could be directed toward current responsibilities are reduced. This situation can lead to decreased work efficiency and a deterioration in the quality of tasks performed. Managing anxiety and focusing on current tasks can help maintain productivity and confidence in your professional work.

Speaking of a problem with concentration is not always correct. Most of the time, we are able to concentrate, but we focus not on our studies or work, but on what is causing us anxiety. This suggests that it is important to be aware of where we direct our attention and how it affects our productivity. Focusing on negative thoughts or stressful situations can interfere with tasks that require attention. Effective attention management techniques can help improve concentration and enhance performance in studies and work.

As a result, we seek calming activities that distract us from the tasks at hand. This leads to increased anxiety due to the inability to concentrate. Focusing becomes increasingly difficult, and this vicious cycle intensifies our experiences.

There are two interrelated cycles that contribute to the persistence of this problem.

Anxiety can lead to regression in our behavior, which manifests itself in a more infantile approach to life. This can be expressed in the desire to avoid responsibility for the commitments made. It's important to remember that such feelings are normal and should be taken into account when we demand that we complete tasks. This setback isn't a final judgment, but rather a signal that we need to pay closer attention to our emotions and state.

To break the vicious cycle of anxiety and a lack of mental resources to complete important tasks, it's necessary to employ effective techniques consistently before, during, and after completing the task. Preparing for the task is key to maintaining focus, helping reduce stress and increase productivity. Preparation includes creating a comfortable work environment, planning your time, and setting priorities. These steps will help you focus on completing tasks while minimizing distractions and increasing your effectiveness.

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What to do in advance

Before starting a task, it is crucial to avoid becoming emotionally overloaded with new information. At the same time, try to resolve any issues that may be bothering you as effectively as possible. This will help you focus on the task at hand and achieve better results.

Limiting your news consumption before the start of the workday can have a positive impact on your productivity. While it is important to stay informed about current events, the negative emotions caused by disturbing news can be distracting and reduce work efficiency. It is recommended to read the news after completing work tasks to maintain focus and improve overall well-being throughout the day.

It is important to set aside time for worrying and finding solutions to problems. Worrying is often associated with constantly analyzing negative scenarios and thinking about your actions in these situations. This process can be endless, and when the mind is busy thinking about possible "what ifs?", working memory becomes overloaded. While it may seem counterintuitive, we can learn to postpone worrying in the same way we postpone reading the news. This will help us focus on the task at hand and increase our overall productivity.

Some of these worrying thoughts can actually transform into real, solvable problems. The key difference between worrying and problem-solving is having a clear plan of action.

Successful problem-solving requires following a clear sequence of actions. First, identify the problem itself. Then, develop several possible solutions. Evaluate each of the proposed options and select the most suitable one. After that, create a step-by-step action plan for implementing the chosen solution and begin implementing it. Finally, be sure to evaluate the effectiveness of the steps taken to understand whether you have achieved the desired result. This approach will ensure a systematic and effective problem-solving process.

If the problem is solved, reward yourself. If not, still praise yourself for the work done and return to the beginning of the process. This technique is especially effective when written down on paper, which helps you better understand your progress and identify next steps.

What you need to take care of immediately before work

Humans, by nature, do not have a high capacity for prolonged concentration, especially when anxious. Therefore, formulating tasks in a realistic manner increases the chances of their successful completion. The right approach to setting goals helps minimize stress and improve focus, which in turn increases work efficiency.

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• Plan short work periods. The Pomodoro productivity system can be used here. Its author, Francesco Cirillo, suggests setting a timer for 20–25 minutes of uninterrupted work, followed by a five-minute break. After every fourth work period, it is recommended to take a 15–30-minute break.
• Break the task into specific subtasks. This is especially important for the first steps, even if the task itself seems very simple. For example, you need to watch a webinar. Subtasks can be formulated like this: “I need to sit down at my desk, turn on my computer, go to a website with webinars, select a video, and click the Play button.”

To increase productivity, it is important to eliminate distractions such as smartphones and unrelated browser tabs. Don’t rely solely on willpower; it is best to leave your smartphone in another room and focus on the task in a separate browser window, minimizing the number of open tabs. This will allow you to focus on your work and increase your overall efficiency.

What is useful to do during and after a task

When you are anxious, you shouldn't expect your usual focus. It is important to understand that focusing in such a situation may be more difficult, and this is completely normal. Accept this as a given and allow yourself time to adapt. Remaining calm and accepting your emotions will help you cope better with current challenges.

While the Pomodoro technique may not be familiar to you, using a ticking timer can significantly improve your productivity. Such a timer reminds you that you are focused on the task at hand and that your time is limited. There are many online timers, but many prefer to use traditional kitchen timers, which create a physical sense of time and help you better manage your tasks. Using a timer not only increases concentration but also promotes effective time management, which ultimately improves your performance.

After completing a task, it is important to reward yourself. It could be as simple as, "It wasn't easy, but I did it, and that's great," or a pleasant activity or something delicious. Often, the satisfaction of accomplishing a task is its own reward. However, if you're having trouble concentrating on tasks, an additional reward can be helpful. According to the principles of behavioral psychology, behavior that receives reinforcement is reinforced. Criticizing yourself for inattention is ineffective, while praise and rewards for desirable behavior can significantly improve motivation and productivity.

Read also:

• 5 TED talks on the role of mental health in education
• How a teacher can cope with stress: advice from a psychologist and tutor
• "Teacher anxiety greatly affects student anxiety"
• 30 rules of educational psychology that a teacher would do well to know