🚰 Let’s Fix Your Focus Leaks

Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 If you’re new here, you can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: We’re talking about Focus Leaks — what they are, how to ID them, and how to patch them up. Let’s jump in.

🚰 What Are Focus Leaks?

Your focus is a finite resource. Every time you check your phone, engage in office chatter, or get sidetracked by news headlines, you're depleting your focus reserves.

These are your Focus Leaks, and they disrupt your flow state.

💧 Common Focus Leaks

📳 Notification pop-ups, sounds, buzzes
🤳 Constant phone checking (even if it’s just your lock screen)
🗞️ Clickbait articles and videos
🎶 Distracting music
🙋 “Quick questions” from a colleague or classmate
💬 Messaging apps
🐦 Social media apps
🚕 Noises around you
🖥️ Lots of browser tabs
⌨️ Desk clutter

🛠 How to Plug Your Focus Leaks

Lots of little leaks can add up to a focus drought. Here’s how to find and plug them:

🔍️ Identify

• Be observant and take note of the moments you find yourself going off course

• Is it a certain time of day, a type of task, or a specific trigger that's causing your focus to fall off?

🤔 Isolate

• Now that you’ve found the Focus Leak, think: is it a symptom of something deeper? Are you avoiding a tough task? Feeling FOMO? Is it a force of habit?

• Jot down your triggers, look for patterns, and you’ll figure out your motivations

• Once you understand the 'why' behind the leak, you can address it at its core

🚱 Plug

• Implement a practical solution to seal the leak. Usually it’ll take you less than a few minutes!

• Is it putting your phone on do not disturb? Starting a no-distractions-allowed Pomodoro session? Putting on noise canceling headphones?

• Make sure it’s a low friction fix, and one that specifically addresses the ‘why’ behind the leak

🤳 Example: Impulsively Checking Instagram

🔍️ Identify

You notice you check Instagram several times during your focus sessions.

🤔 Isolate

You realize it's not just procrastination or boredom. The 'why' here is FOMO. You check stories to stay connected and to be in the loop, fearing you'll miss out on something big or entertaining.

🚱 Plug

Now that you've identified the issue as FOMO, the fix becomes clear:

• Disable Instagram notifications during your work hours

• Remove Instagram from your home screen to fight your muscle memory

• Set up a reward system with a set amount of IG story catch-up time after you’ve finished big chunks of work

• If you want to get reflective, ask yourself, "What am I actually missing out on? Is it worth compromising my productivity?"

👀 Looking to plug those leaks? Here's early access to Flocus beta, our new free, browser-based dashboard for focus and ambience.

Aesthetic backgrounds, Pomodoro timer, focus playlists, and lots more. Check it out!

Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team