All professionals know the sweet feeling of feeling fully productive and getting a task done in a timely manner. Achieving such a result usually means reaching a state of deep work. “The term refers to the ability to mobilise all of one’s capacities, both cognitive and physical, to carry out a task in an optimal manner,” explains Bülent Turan. Twelve French Kung Fu champion titles and twenty years of experience in the sales management of large groups have taught this specialist the secrets of concentration. He is deeply convinced that concentration depends to a large extent on working on oneself.

Ensuring intention: giving meaning to your work

The first step is to start by identifying all sources of distraction, both internal and external, that can hinder the quality of work. “A key element in achieving deep work is knowing why you do things,” the expert stresses. Understanding precisely why you are doing a task greatly improves your ability to concentrate on it, and to complete it.

Too much or too little at stake, lack of recognition from one’s superiors, impostor syndrome – the feeling that one does not deserve to be in that position… There are countless reasons for demotivation in professional life that can also have a serious impact on concentration. When difficulties arise in these areas, it is therefore essential not to avoid the problem, but to try to solve it, with knock-on benefits.

Putting yourself in optimal mental conditions

Deep work also means being able to mobilise a certain amount of energy. This can be maintained: quality of sleep, balanced diet, positive thoughts, regular physical exercise, etc. In addition to a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to take the time to breathe regularly throughout the day, if only by looking up from your smartphone or computer to change your focus. Similarly, bringing your personal life into the office or, conversely, integrating your professional life at home does not facilitate in-depth work. Knowing how to compartmentalise is essential: you must keep a time for everything!

Cutting yourself off from outside influences

The main source of external distraction today is the Internet and social networks. Every notification, every pop-up is detrimental to the quality of work,” says Bülent Turan. Once interrupted, it is estimated that it takes about twenty minutes to return to the same level of concentration. With digital technology, the notion of urgency has been imposed, but in reality, it is very rarely essential to respond to an email five minutes after receiving it.”

Therefore, if you want to achieve absolute concentration, you should turn off all notifications and put your phone on aeroplane mode – until the task is done. If it is not possible to isolate yourself and you are in an open space, it is better to opt for headphones at times when you need to concentrate – binaural sounds or white noise (lightning, forests, wind, water), available free on YouTube, facilitate deep concentration.

Compartmentalise your working day

It is impossible to be 100% focused for 8 hours in a day. Because of the flexibility of teleworking, the pandemic has shown a number of professionals how their effectiveness varies depending on the time of day. The challenge is to achieve self-awareness.

From then on, one can organise oneself to carry out the most important tasks during the periods when one’s mind is sharpest. Bülent Turan recommends dividing your working day into blocks of no more than 90 minutes. As for the Pomodoro method, it suggests devoting 25 minutes to a task, before taking a 5-minute break. Structuring the day in this way helps to create concentration bubbles. And thus, achieve the objective set: to mobilise 100% of one’s attention at the required moment.

To learn more about deep work, mindset and self-confidence, meet Bülent Turan soon on the platform www.hatahe.com.