- Mairaj ahmed
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- How to Stay Focused in the Age of Distraction
How to Stay Focused in the Age of Distraction
How to Stay Focused in the Age of Distraction
We live in the age of information.
Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with content, news, social media, messages, notifications, and random facts.
Our minds are overloaded, making it hard to focus.
We try to learn, but instead of gaining knowledge, we get mindf*cked.
Our brains don’t know what to store and what to ignore.
So, what’s the solution?
We need to stop trying to do everything at once.
I was a big fan of multitasking.
I thought I could manage writing, accounting, and other tasks together.
But guess what?
I sucked at all of them.
I wasn’t making progress in writing or accounting.
That’s when I decided to pick one thing at a time.
Writing makes me aware of my thoughts, clears my mind, and gives me new ideas.
Accounting is interesting, but I don’t enjoy practicing it because I hate formulas like ✓°%)(.
So, I wasn’t getting better at anything.
But at the same time, I was good at both.
Now, I am going deep into the world of focus.
How to stay focused no matter who you are:
A student, a business owner, a marketer, or anyone trying to achieve something big.
If you want to be great, you must kill distractions.
Whether it’s your phone, social media, or noisy surroundings, distractions steal your time and energy.
I haven’t researched this on Google or YouTube.
Everything I share is my own experience.
1. Turn on Focus Mode
Most people struggle to achieve their goals because their minds are filled with useless information.
One big reason? Social media.
Be honest, how much time do you spend on Instagram?
Let’s say 2 hours a day.
Now, imagine if your time was worth $20 per hour. That’s $40 per day.
$40 × 30 days = $1200 per month.
In Pakistani rupees, that’s around 3 lacs.
That means you’re paying 3 lacs every month just to stay distracted.
If you don’t earn yet, you might think, “I’m not making that much money.”
But here’s the truth:
in the modern world, attention is currency.
Your focus is valuable, and big companies profit from stealing it.
I used to be active on Twitter.
But Twitter became a place where people show off nonsense, and Elon Musk made it worse.
Now, I only use Instagram for updates (even though Insta has its own distractions).
I don’t know how people manage multiple social media accounts and still stay productive.
If you’re one of them, please share your secret with me.
I need that magic.
But if you’re not Cristiano Ronaldo, you don’t need to be everywhere.
So, what’s the conclusion?
If you want to achieve something big, stop wasting time on things that don’t improve you. Either delete social media or limit your usage to 1 hour a day before 1 PM.
This simple step will change your life.
2. Build Your Morning
Most people wake up and grab their phones first thing in the morning.
They scroll through notifications, messages, and memes.
By 9 AM, their minds are already exhausted.
Then they wonder why they can’t focus.
I wake up at 6 AM. I turn off my alarm, and I don’t touch my phone until 8 AM.
In those two hours, I pray, recite, and meditate for 20 minutes.
If you wake up at 8 AM, don’t touch your phone till 9 AM. If you don’t pray, recite, or meditate, just do nothing.
Sit. Get bored. Talk to your family.
This simple habit will change your mindset.
After one hour of no screen time, your brain becomes curious.
You’ll feel the energy to do something productive. You’ll actually enjoy your work.
Don’t believe me? Try it for a week.
3. Start Work Blocks
I see many people working all day but never finishing anything.
They sit down, get distracted, and waste time.
Then they say, “I’ll do it later.”
This is the dumbest way to work.
If you want happiness, enjoy what you do. If you don’t enjoy your work, find a way to make it fun—or change it.
That’s where work blocks come in.
Here’s how I do it:
I spend one hour a day writing.
I turn off all distractions.
I set a timer for 60 minutes.
I focus only on writing.
In that one hour, I get more work done than others do in two hours.
I tell myself:
“I am not special. I am not the president. If I turn off my notifications, nothing will stop.”
This simple mindset gives me confidence. I finish my work peacefully and without distractions.
Try it. It works.
4. Start Meditation for 10 Minutes a Day
One day, I was telling a friend about meditation. I told him how amazing it made me feel.
He laughed and said, “You’re too young for this.”
I listened to him and stopped meditating.
Biggest mistake.
A few days later, I became:
❌ Angry
❌ Confused
❌ Exhausted
❌ Miserable
I hated it.
So, I took a pen and paper and started thinking.
Then I realized. he had never meditated in his life.
And I had first-hand experience.
That’s when I decided: never listen to people who have no experience.
Now, I meditate for 20 minutes every day. And it’s incredible.
The Benefits of Meditation:
✔️ Calm mind
✔️ Zero stress
✔️ No anxiety
✔️ Skyrocketed focus
✔️ No useless arguments
Direct experience is king.
So, if you haven’t tried meditation, try it today. Just 10 minutes a day can change your life.
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Staying focused is hard. But if you remove distractions, build a strong morning, work in blocks, and meditate, y
ou can achieve anything.
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the world.
You just need focus.
So, what will you do today to take back your focus?
Stay Curious, Stay Focused
-Mairaj Ahmed