How to get 'refocused' at work after long weekend

Expert shares tips to boost concentration

Having trouble getting back in the work groove after the long holiday weekend? The lazy days of summer can make it tough to concentrate sometimes, especially at work, but experts say there are simple tricks you can try when you realize you need to refocus.

Cleveland Clinic psychologist Dr. Scott Bea says first, stop thinking about yourself and focus on the moment at hand.

"Imagine a ballplayer. He's had two fast ones go right past him. He starts thinking about himself too much rather than just see the ball and hit it," said Bea. "Whenever we get overly involved with our thoughts, we lose sight of what's happening in the here and now."

Bea says keeping family photos or pictures of your pets on your desk can help you to clear your thoughts and refocus, but he recommends introducing new pictures regularly, so you don't get used to them.

You can also take a walk when you're having trouble concentrating or just look out the window at some trees. One study found people who were able to look periodically at a grassy rooftop committed fewer mistakes and had better concentration when compared to people looking at a concrete rooftop. The "micro-breaks" in the study were just 40 seconds long, proof it doesn't take long to reset our brain.

Bea says all you're trying to do is to "refresh your personal home page."

"Think about the time you're working on a crossword. You get a little stumped, if you step away from that for just a few moments it frees up your thinking. You can come back and all of a sudden the answer that was not available to you is available to you. So, there are a lot of psychological and productivity benefits to getting your brain off yourself," said Bea.

Even paying attention to the sounds or smells around you can help, explained Bea, anything that brings your focus to the here and now.