Strong writing, grammar, and research are the key skills of a professional content writer. But, possessing these key skills is not enough. In order to put these key skills into play, a content writer should be able to stay focused throughout. Hence, if you’re unable to stay focused because of back pain or something, then possessing these key skills won’t do you any good.
The same also applies to the appropriate writing and grammar to reflect in the articles. If you’re one of those content writers looking out for ways to stay focused. Then this article is for you.
As we all know, a website content writer specializes in providing relevant content for websites. As a matter of fact, every website has a specific target audience. Being a content writer, I know that our job is to provide the valuable and correct content to the target audience. Additionally, all these websites require the most relevant content to attract business. Moreover, the content should also contain the keywords aimed towards improving a website’s SEO. Hence, content writers need to stay focused on researching and writing.
Thus, I have penned down 7 health tips for content writers to stay focused. Trust me. These health tips have done a great job in keeping me focused. Also, if you have friends or relatives working in this field, then consider recommending this article to them.
Exercise
Well, one of the best health tips for content writers to stay focused is exercising. First and foremost, prioritize exercise. Go for a walk every morning. Consider walking for at least 45 minutes to 1-hour every day. This will not only help you in losing weight. But it will also make you feel energetic and motivated. Further, it refreshes your body and boosts your creativity as well. Moreover, you will feel confident when you write. The backup plan is to exercise after work. But, most often, it never works out for several reasons.
One reason can be if your work timings are odd, either you leave late from your workplace or if you work in shifts. The second reason may be if you commute long-distance to your workplace which is time-consuming. However, if you’re workplace is nearby, and you don’t have to travel much. Then yes, you can exercise after work. On the contrary, if you need to cater to your family’s needs then it won’t be possible for you to exercise after work. It’s too easy for life to intrude and the workout to get skipped when you wait to do it after work.
Hence, the best option is to exercise in the morning. Go for a walk, cycling, or swimming as these are low impact cardio exercises. Also, yoga works wonders. Yoga’s incorporation of meditation and breathing help in improving a person’s mental wellbeing. As a matter of fact, practicing yoga regularly creates mental clarity and calmness. Besides this, it relaxes the mind, sharpens concentration and relieves chronic stress patterns. Therefore, with so many options open to you, make it a point to exercise every day. You will figure out with time which mode of exercise helps you the most. You can find your yoga teacher training in Bali and start practicing now!
Being Productive
There’s a very thin line between being busy and productive. The aim should always be getting things done every single day. This can only be accomplished by creating habits. Let’s take the example of emails. It can really take away a lot of your time without you noticing it. Hiver recently shared some really effective email management methods. Similarly, you need to approach each task the right way. In the end it boils down to your plan and how diligently you follow it.
Eat Healthy Snacks
Content writers usually tend to hog on chips, cookies, chocolates and popcorns especially if they have a lot to research and write. For some, it’s a bottle of coke. Well, I don’t know about you. But if you are also eating the same while working, then that’s not what you should be eating. Occasionally is fine. Similarly, too much coffee and tea are also bad for health. You can at the most have 2 cups of tea and a cup of a coffee per day. I understand that we tend to feel hungry after a span of time. We crave for certain foods especially sweets while we research. I know that hunger and these cravings won’t let you stay focused on your work. But unhealthy snacks and junk food will only make you feel lazy and sleepy. It will also add up to your weight.
Therefore, the best thing to do is to switch to healthy snacks. Don’t keep yourself hungry for too long as you won’t be able to focus. Firstly, I would advise you to drink a lot of water as this will keep you hydrated. Secondly, eat fruits. Thirdly, eat carrots and peas since they have a nice crunch along with healthy fiber. Also, you can have any homemade light snack. All this will satisfy your cravings without piling on a lot of calories. Moreover, these healthy snacks and food will also help you focus better.
Manage your Sitting Time
As a content writer, you probably sit in front of a computer/laptop all day, without taking breaks. And you type continuously on your keyboard for long hours. But this is not what you’re supposed to do. It’s bad as it’s hazardous to your health. You need to give rest for your eyes, body and brain. Besides this, you are straining your back and neck. You feel that if you work continuously, then you will be able to research and write more. But that’s not how it works. The more breaks you take in between, the better for your body to function well.
All this, in turn, will help you stay focused and give out a better output which will reflect in your work. So, take small breaks every hour. Just stand and stretch yourself or take a small walk. I understand that researching continuously can make you feel tired. Hence, consider listening to some soothing music when you take a break. Or, read the news. You can also browse through social media.
Adequate Quantity of Food
Don’t eat too much rice since you need to work after lunch. Consume adequate amounts of everything that you eat. As I mentioned above eat healthy foods. Avoid excess oil. Eat less of chicken and meat. Ensure you include raw salads for lunch. Lastly, after 15 minutes, drink a glass of hot water.
Give Your Eyes a Break
According to the Mayo clinic, staring at a computer/laptop/TV/phone screen for long hours can lead to fatigue and eye strain. In order to prevent these issues, I would advise you to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This rule states that you should take a 20-second break every 20 minutes, to look at an object at least 20 feet away.
Stretch after Sitting All Day
At the end of a long day, you should always stretch your body in the opposite position. This indicates that you should stretch your body opposite to how you were sitting the whole day. Clasp your arms behind you and let your head fall back. This will open your chest. Lie on the floor or a sofa and rest your legs against a wall. Your feet should be pointing up (elevated) to change your circulation.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
You can’t afford to get dehydrated. Dehydration causes an inability to focus, headache, and fatigue – none of which are good for content writers. Therefore, you should drink at least 2.5 to 3 liters of water every single day. If you feel that you won’t be able to drink 3 liters of water, then you can drink 2 liters of water. And you can spice up the remaining 1 liter with some mint, ginger, cucumber or lemon. Natural fruit juices are a great option. It refreshes you and makes you feel energetic. So, try to include at least one fruit juice per day.
Along with the 7 health tips, I have also penned down the best foods to boost your concentration. Including these in your diet will play a major role in helping you stay focused.
Foods to Boost Your Concentration
Good food has incredible quality to improve your ability to focus, mental clarity, memory and mood. So, if you want to stay focused then watch what you eat. Below, I’ve listed the foods that will help you improve your focus.
- Blueberries
Blueberries are known to boost concentration and memory for up to 5 hours. This is because the antioxidants in blueberries stimulate the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and keep the mind fresh. Thus, boosting your focus.
- Green Tea
Green tea helps you focus for 2 reasons. The first reason is that it contains caffeine and the second reason is that it contains I’theanine. Caffeine helps you focus and improve your alertness. Whereas I’theanine is an ingredient that increases alpha-wave activity. Alpha wave activity is responsible for increasing tranquility and releases the caffeine more slowly. Further, both these ingredients also improve speed and accuracy. Thus, consider drinking a cup of green tea every day.
- Avocados
As a matter of fact, every organ in the body depends on blood flow. Especially the heart and the brain. Avocados prove useful in enhancing blood flow. And they also offer a simple and tasty way to fire up the brain cells. Additionally, avocados are also loaded with fiber which helps keep hunger pangs at bay. Each avocado contains 11 to 17 grams.
- Leafy Green Vegetables
Since leafy green vegetables are full of antioxidants and carotenoids, they boost your brainpower and help protect your brain. Besides this, leafy green vegetables contain Vitamin B. This, in turn, helps you to stay focused and improves your memory. Furthermore, they contain folic acid which improves your mental clarity.
- Fish
Fish improves your concentration and mood. Fatty fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids which aid in memory, mental performance and behavioral function. People who are deficient in Omega-3’s are more likely to have poor concentration & memory, mood swings, depression, and fatigue. The main sources of fatty fish are salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
- Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate also enables you to stay focused. Firstly, it contains a small amount of caffeine which heightens mental alertness. Additionally, dark chocolate contains magnesium which helps you destress. It also stimulates the release of endorphins and serotonin. Thus, making you feel good and relaxed. Well, this doesn’t mean that you should eat a huge brick of dark chocolate every day. Eating dark chocolate in smaller doses can boost your focus.
- Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are high in magnesium, Vitamin B, Omega 3 fatty acids and fibre. As discussed above all these ultimately help you to focus. They also aid with mental clarity and weight loss. Unlike the other foods that I have mentioned above, flax seeds can’t be eaten just like that. Ensure you grind the flax seeds once you purchase them so that your body can digest them. In order to consume it, you need to sprinkle it on cereal, yoghurt, oatmeal, salad and more.
- Nuts
Nuts are great for your body in the long term. They are good sources of the antioxidant Vitamin E. You just need an ounce of them per day since they aid your focus. Moreover, they are also rich in essential oils and amino acids. Nuts that are high in Vitamin E are almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios. Keep in mind not to eat too many nuts as it causes heat in the body. Eating a few every day is perfectly fine.
Stay Healthy! Write Better!
To sum up, all I would say is, your health is your wealth. Hence, if you take care of your health, you will be able to research and write better. This will reflect in your articles as you will be able to stay focused. Consider following all these health tips that I have listed in this article. I understand that in the beginning, it will be a little difficult for you to get used to all of these. But you can always start with one or two tips, and then continue with the rest.
After I started to follow these tips, it created a major impact on my ability to focus on time. Hence these tips are sure to benefit you too. Don’t forget to recommend these 7 health tips for content writers to stay focused on the article to your friends and relatives who are working in the same field too. After all, this world needs more healthy professional content writers to bring out the best content.
About the Author:
Tanisha Furtado lives in sunny Goa, India and loves to write about consumer products and health.