Many leaders allow a multitasking mentality and other priorities to invade their thinking. A leader’s ability to focus on the task at hand, or a key decision, or a challenge ahead, is key to being able to move the organization and people forward. A lack of ability to focus can impact the timing and quality of decisions. Every leader needs the ability to concentrate or focus. Concentration is the ability to direct your attention to follow your will—you are able control your attention in a way that benefits your leadership. Here are a few tips on improving your focus:

Get some sleep. Sam Chia of Betterup.com says, “Lack of sleep can lead to lower alertness, slower thought processes, and reduced concentration. You will have more difficulty focusing your attention and may become confused. As a result, your ability to perform tasks especially relating to reasoning or logic can be seriously affected.” One simple means of being focused during your work time is to go to bed earlier. Adding an hour or two of sleep can greatly approve your ability to focus your attention. 

Eliminate distractions. Enter the smartphone, and social media, and distraction in our culture has been taken to a whole new level. You are bombarded constantly by information and your mind is engaged in assessing whether or not it is useful and worth your attention. Then of course there are emails, actual phone calls, and all those interruptions with people coming into and out of the office. Turn off and tune out. Choose a number of hours each day to step away from your devices. And consider a do not disturb sign on occasion on your office door. Not constantly for hours on end, but give yourself some uninterrupted time to think so that you can regain focus on the important elements of your leadership. 

Take a short break. Sometimes long stretches of work can break our focus. Know when to take a break. After a number of hours, stand up, move around, grab a snack or a glass of water. Reward yourself with a half-hour of healthy distraction—like a book or a walk or a conversation with a colleague. Then dive back in with a renewed energy. Sharp focus needs an occasional break to clear the mind.  

Get moving. Exercise is a sure way to reengage your mind by getting your blood flowing and moving your muscles. When you don’t move, your muscles tense and your body can maintain a low level of discomfort that affects your attention. Your body wants to move, so put it in motion with a walk at lunch or before you start your day. Or try to burn some calories at the gym following work. Pull out the lawnmower and do some yard work. As you get moving, your mind will naturally sharpen as the body is in motion. 

Clean up. Clutter is a focus-breaker. Disorganization and a dirty environment can strip you of focus, especially if you can’t find information you need. A lack of cleanliness can also make you less productive overall, triggering coping and avoidance reactions. You may find yourself more likely to snack on junk food and watch TV versus actually getting something accomplished. Libby Sander writes in The Conversation, “Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganization drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus… Research does indeed show cluttered home environments negatively influence the perception of our homes, and ultimately our satisfaction of life.” Take time to clean up and clean out on occasion. Throw out items you haven’t used in six months or a year. Make sure you can sit on all your furniture. Get rid of loose boxes and stacks of papers. Your mind will thank you for it!