According to Steve Jobs, Focus does not mean saying yes, it means saying no. The standard of our relationships mainly depends on the quality of our conversations. In fact, staying focused is one of the most important and difficult skills required to keep the quality of our conversations.
Almost all people are struggling to stay focused when someone is talking. So, are you also one of them? Luckily, founderactivity loves to share this article with you to be a better conversationalist by staying focused by learning how to stay focused when someone is talking.
By the way, When is the last time you enjoyed an undistracted conversation with another person? Though we are talking with an important client, a favorite person, a close friend, or a family member, most of us including me, struggling to stay focused in our interactions.
So, let’s see how to stay focused when someone is talking.
How to stay focused when someone is talking
In fact, the most productive and meaningful conversations occur when both parties aware of how to listen well. Listening well means staying focused. In order to do that, you can follow the below ways.
- Minimize environmental distractions
- Reduce internal distractions
- Keeping attention
- Asking related questions
- Interrupt with kindness
#1. Minimize environmental distractions
Environmental distractions are one of the main obstacles that prevent you from staying focused. Environmental and physical barriers that prevent staying focused include sensory factors like sights, smell, sound, temperature, physical comfort, and so on. As well as it includes physiological factors like discomfort, illness, fatigue, stress, and so on.
In order to stay focus when you are talking, make sure to reduce these distractions.
Sensory factors:
These are the factors that affect the senses and being obstacles to staying focus.
Sights:
If you can see there are things around you that can be distracting, it will be the main reason not to stay focused.
Sound:
Most probably, a noisy room provides much distraction. So, to staying focus, it is better to avoid noisy sounds.
Smell:
Unexpectedly, the smell in the nose can distract us. Because the human nose is a very sensitive organ and its smells can be very evocative.
Temperature:
Have you ever thought temperature will affect your attention? Of course, temperature matters. In fact, it is difficult to stay focused if it is too hot, too cold, or too humid.
Physical comfort:
If you are not physically comfortable, it may be a reason to distract you to stay in focus when talking.
Physiological Factors
Discomfort:
When you are participating in a conversation, though you are uncomfortable in any way it will harm your attention. So, in order to stay focused, it is better to maintain your comfort.
Illness:
Illness is so related to distraction. It can directly affect the mind and the ability to focus.
Stress:
If you are stressed, it is the main distraction for your ability to focus. In a conclusion, you should be treated for your stress before your conversation or putting off the discussion until a place and time can be found.
So, these are the environmental distractions that can affect your ability to focus. In order to stay focused when someone is talking, it is better to consider all the above facts and reduce them as much as possible.
#2. Reduce internal Distractions
Internal distractions often refer to psychological and emotional noise. Before you enter the conversation, it is better to reduce your internal distractions. If you have a very important email, phone call, or task that behaves annoyingly, it is better to take care of them before you enter a conversation.
For instance, if you need to ask a person to meet a little later, it is better to let him know first or tune it into another person. Or not, it will float in your mind distractingly like a little voice in your head.
Moreover, if you are able to schedule your day to take care of the more difficult tasks earlier in the day, then you will be able to stay focus on the one-on-one meetings that you have with people later in the day.
#3. Shift your Attention
Do you know, most of our brain resource spends on visual processing. It means if you are looking at someone’s face and expression, your mind is busy judging the other person’s facial expressions to find out the hidden agenda behind their speech. If you try to stop that, luckily you can be an active listener with full attention.
Further, the issue comes with not looking in the eye, not keeping eye contact. In fact, to help yourself to be interested in the other’s speech, try to smile with them and give them a 70:30 ratio of eye contact. It means, 70% mainly look in their eyes or their general person in a non-sexual manner, and the rest 30% at your surroundings. When your conversation comes with a group, try to have a ratio of 50:50. It means, tries to share your attention equally among all members.
Shift your full attention to the conversation and it will help to stay focused when someone is talking.
In fact, asking questions will encourage deeper understanding and it will help to maintain focus when someone is talking. And also it is a form of confirmation that you heard the correct thing.
Sometimes, what someone says does not match the way they think about it. If you are not sure you understand what they are saying, wait until they have finished thinking and confirm what you have removed from what they said. If you are in a condition of not asking questions from them about the conversation, just ask questions from yourself. And if there is a doubt ask from them.
#5. Interrupt with kindness
Interrupting with the person who conducted the conversation, is a way of realizing that you were staying focused while the conversation was going on. But remember, do it kindly.
For instance, if someone is droning on and on and on, there is no need to wait in that conversation. Instead of wasting the time on both, you can jump from the conversation, by grabbing something that they have said. As mentioned earlier, that is a way of showing you have heard their conversation.
And, finally, it is OKAY to disagree with your partner, if you are not agreeing with them. You are just trying to be a good listener and staying focused while they are talking and not to agree with all they are talking about.
The fact is, everyone is hoping the understanding and a true connection comes through listening well to others and staying focused while the conversation is going on. So, let’s make an intentional effort to stay focused and be engaged with each person we encounter.
thank you. Grate
This is such an interesting topic, I really enjoyed reading that
Don’t Be Mean on self
You’re not unusual, aloof, or impolite. You are ADD/ADHD. Your brain places more emphasis on links and connections between things than it does on individual pieces of information, so you are more prone to stray from a single concept and enter a complex web of emotions and thoughts. Don’t let it make you feel bad about yourself or powerless. Here are a few stay-tuned techniques that have assisted me in developing my capacity to concentrate and listen.
I really enjoyed reading that. thank you
View the eyes of the other person.
Consider a line moving through the mountains on rails. The mountain are the topic of the talk, the train represent their thoughts, and the railroads represent his words.
Keep that line of thinking in mind and follow it.
Every time you talk, it’s like turning a train on a railroad; when you speak, you steer the train in one direction or the other and change the scenery as you choose.
This is a metaphore, don’t deliberatly visualize a train while communicating with others.
Some people have problems concentrating on things, and it isn’t always easy to dedicate their full attention to a conversation. There are many reasons why someone might have a hard time paying attention. If you’re asking yourself a question such as “Why can’t I concentrate when my significant other is talking?” then it’s likely that it’s becoming a bit of a problem. There are some tell-tale signs when someone isn’t focusing like lack of eye contact or not responding appropriately. If you’re so bad at paying attention to your partner’s words that it is starting to hurt their feelings, then you might need to figure out how to change things
If you’re going through a very stressful time, then your mind might start to wander. Stress can take a toll on people both mentally and physically. There are several mental processes that are happening in your brain at the same time- even if you don’t realize it. If your mind is overwhelmed, it can be hard to feel present in the moment. You may have a harder time focusing on a person talking.
wow interesting topic.
Sol Kürek kemiği ağrısı, sırtın sol üst kısmında meydana gelmektedir.
interesting topic .thank you
thank you good work
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
You’re not weird, cold, or rude. You have ADHD. Your brain focuses on the connections and relationships between things more than on specific bits of information, so you are likely to drift away from a single thought into a complex web of feelings and ideas. Don’t beat yourself up or feel helpless because of it. Here are a few stay-tuned strategies that have helped me learn how to focus and be a better listener.
Look at other person’s eyes.
Imagine a train travelling on the railways in the mountains. That train is their mind, the railways are the words he says and the mountains are the theme of the conversation.
Follow and focus on that train of thought.
Every time you say something it is like a turn on the railways, and while you are speaking you are leading that train in the same or other direction and adapt the background as you please.
This is a metaphore, don’t deliberatly imagine a train while speaking with others.
related (Write it Down. There are times we become mentally distracted because a thought pops into our mind and we want to share it. Instead of interrupting or allowing your mind to wander with what you want to say, pull out a pen and quickly jot down a word or two to help you remember that thought, so you can bring it up later. I’ve been known to use shopping receipts or paper napkins or placemats to put my thought on to paper and out of my head. This little trick can help you maintain your interest in what the other person is saying without forgetting your thought.)