Procrastination — truly the greatest plague of our times (sorry, COVID).

In a world full of quick gratification, concentrating on ordinary tasks is getting harder than ever. It takes just a few taps on the phone to escape into a better world — free from deadlines, responsibilities, and stress.

Without further ado, let’s dive a little deeper into my past mistakes and the real solutions that helped me rebuild my concentration.

My Little Personal Experiences

My villain origin story is that stress was a big issue for me since I was a kid.

Teachers were shooting questions at me without any warning, and my mind’s brilliant response was to completely freeze.

Not good for grades — and even worse for self esteem.

The stressful demons lurking behind me made school feel like a hellish experience, and since most of my responsibilities revolved around school, they also got labeled as rather unpleasant. I found my escape in TV series, computer games, social media — and sometimes, pornography.

Not gonna lie — I had a good time, but for some reason life didn’t exactly let me have fun for a long time. As things started to fall apart, I knew it was time to take action.

Bad Blast from the Past

Before we dive into the healthy stuff, let me tell you about the shortcuts I’ve tried: cigarettes.

Smoking gave me a huge productivity boost. I could work for hours, being in flow-like state, getting things done one after another — at least until the craving for the next cigarette kicked in. And not gonna lie, every week it came back faster and stronger.

Today, I know it worked only because it relieved stress — it didn’t solve the real issue. Nicotine, alcohol, pornography, and other super dopamine boosters are nothing but temporary fixes. Sooner or later they will bring only more damage.

Better Options

Let’s talk about healthier alternatives.

They do exist, but here’s the worst part: they are not as instantly effective as the sinful and fun options. They are all long games, getting more effective the more you stick with them.

Here's what actually helped me.

Tip Numero Uno: Get Rid of Distractions

You know what keeps you back? Having better options.

How the hell can you devote yourself to something when you know that more pleasant things are waiting right around the corner?

If you wanna succeed, better get rid of them now. That means:

• Leave the phone somewhere else.
• Don’t listen to music that you like too much while working.
• Go pee and grab a drink before you start.

Small things, but they add up.

Is that the ultimate answer? No. Limiting dopamine boosters in general is something that also should be done. Most of us are overstimulated — and it’s killing our ability to focus. Reserve some time for your brain to unwind. Go on a walk. Spend meaningful time with family. Have some non-electronic, and non-alcohol/nicotine fueled fun.

Tip Numero Dos: Divide, Conquer and Go Flow

If something is too easy — you will get bored.

If something is too hard — you will get frustrated.

That is the ultimate truth.

For the easy stuff, I think you just need to force yourself to eat that frog. At least you know what to do.

For the hard - break it into smaller pieces. The sooner you complete something, the better your engagement’s gonna be. What blocks me most of the time is trying to focus on too many details at once.

Ideally you want to reach a flow — a state of mind when you are so concentrated you lose track of time. The best situation for flow is when you are dealing with tasks just a little above your current level.

My secret magic for flow state is listening to 10 hour versions of songs. My two favorites are They‘re taking the Hobbits to Isengard and Epic Gandalf Sax Guy . Fifteen minutes in, and my focus gets sharp as hell.

Tip Numero Tres: The True Enemy

The sad truth is that the most mundane improvements give the most benefit but they take time.

As I said earlier, the root cause of poor concentration skills is often stress. This is what you need to handle to win the long game.

That means:

• Having better sleep.
• Spending time outside.
• Not eating too much crappy food.
• Most importantly, dealing with your emotional problems.

What helps me the most?

Over time, I've tried different things, but when life gets tough journaling and walking are the best for me.

Journaling gives me some perspective — seeing my thoughts on paper makes them feel less scary.

And walking? Sun is a natural antidepressant, and walking itself is a great exercise. Sometimes, you just need to walk your emotions out.

Bottom Line

Nothing new was said in this article — and in some way that was the point. I don't want to share any false solutions.

I wanted to show it from my perspective — to give a little “me” context — and I hope it helps someone out there

I'm in a place in life where I need to redefine some basics, so this feels like a good opportunity to share the journey with a bigger community.

Hope you like it — and see you in the next post.