Focus Like a Zen Master: 4 Proven Techniques to Train Your Brain
You want to stay focused, but your mind jumps between emails, meetings, and distractions like a toddler hyped on sugar. Or if you're like me and a bit co-dependent, I'm so focused on doing things for other people that I can't keep my focus on MY stuff. There's hope for us, I promise - and I use the techniques in this post and they work.
I am obsessed with things staying practical and scientific. I'm pulling this post's information from these guys: Dr. Andrew Huberman, James Clear, Dr. Cal Newport, and David Goggins. These methods combine science, habit formation, and mental toughness to help you build unbreakable focus. Let's do it.
1. Andrew Huberman: Mastering Your Brain’s Focus Clock
Technique: Use your biology to optimize alertness.
- Your brain's ability to focus is strongly influenced by light exposure and rest cycles. Huberman recommends getting natural sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up to kickstart focus for the rest of the day.
Seriously a game changer - Whenever I can get to the sun in the morning, I let it hit my face (don't look directly at it...) and within 5 to 10 minutes I can already feel the difference. Plus the often morning cool air is nice.
- Additionally, practice Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) during the afternoon when your energy starts to dip. This guided rest resets your focus without the need for caffeine.
This one has changed my world when it comes to creative thinking and getting past idea blocks. When I'm feeling overwhelmed or scattered, this approach has a magical way of clearing the road in my brain. The YouTube video below is a good place for beginners.
Practical Step: Tomorrow morning, get outside for at least 10 minutes right after waking up. Focus your eyes on something in the distance (like the horizon) to wake up your brain faster.
Pro Tip: Feeling sluggish in the afternoon? Try a 10-minute NSDR session (search "Huberman NSDR" on YouTube).
Or find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM
"Your brain follows the sun. Start your day with light, and you'll set yourself up for a clear, focused mind." – Dr. Andrew Huberman
2. James Clear: Building Focus Habits That Stick
Technique: Create focus by stacking habits and designing your environment.
- James Clear emphasizes the importance of habit stacking—linking a new behavior to an existing habit. For example, if you want to build a focus routine, start by pairing it with your morning coffee or after your workout.
I first learned about this when studying for my LMFT exam. It was a 4-hour test that I took 6 months to study for. I was advised to pair a specific food with my routine, and I chose walnuts and blueberries (good for the brain). Sure enough, after a few sessions of doing this, my brain started to associate those two foods with "study time" and the focus became easier - maybe 25% easier.
This technique is also used for getting the brain ready for sleep with associations.
- Also, remove distractions. Your environment should signal focus, not multitasking. Keep your phone out of sight during deep work sessions.
Ah, the power of monotasking. I wish someone had told me about this sooner. I always had this assumption that a "mature" man would be able to juggle a ton of things at once. NOT SO. In fact, it made me slower and way more prone to mistakes or even giving up early. Monotasking and creating a space for less distractions has been hard with a family, but worth the effort. I found this book a few years back and I've used it as proof that my "monotasking" is not just normal but healthy.
You can find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Cl7Wbw
Practical Step: Choose one habit to pair with your focus routine (e.g., “After I drink my coffee, I’ll work on my most important task for 30 minutes.”).
Pro Tip: Declutter your workspace at the end of each day to set yourself up for distraction-free focus tomorrow.
"You don’t rise to the level of your goals—you fall to the level of your systems."– James Clear, Atomic Habits
3. Cal Newport: Entering the Deep Work Zone
Technique: Schedule long, uninterrupted blocks of deep work.
- According to Newport, shallow work (emails, meetings) consumes your brain’s bandwidth, leaving little room for deep, meaningful tasks. Instead, you need deep work sessions—blocks of at least 90 minutes where you work on a single, high-value task with zero interruptions.
Similar to Clear, this technique also goes for monotasking, but adds in time blocking. For me, this meant SCHEDULING time, and for added emphasis and accountability I would try to schedule the time with another person doing a similar or the same task. Just like working out, its way easier to justify keeping that promise to ourselves if another person is waiting. Use that codependency to your advantage!
- Deep work is a skill that improves with practice. Start small and gradually extend your sessions.
Practical Step: This week, schedule two 90-minute deep work sessions. Turn off notifications and let others know you're unavailable during that time, or find a task buddy.
Pro Tip: Use a focus trigger to signal your brain it's time to focus—like listening to the same instrumental playlist each session.
"Focus is the new I.Q. in the modern workplace. Master deep work, and you’ll stand out in a distracted world." – Dr. Cal Newport, Deep Work
4. David Goggins: Mental Callousing for Focus Resilience
Technique: Build grit and push past mental limits.
- Goggins believes most people quit when they’ve only reached 40% of their actual potential. To strengthen your focus, train yourself to keep going when your mind tells you to stop. This could mean pushing through a tough workout or finishing a mentally exhausting project.
This one was difficult for me to understand at first, but I watched an interview Goggins had with Huberman once and he said that there is a Dopamine release when we are proud of our effort more than the outcome. I would do this the most while washing dishes - I would have this inner dialogue, "Look at you, man. You don't enjoy this, but you're doing it. And you'll be glad you did."
- By repeatedly challenging yourself to endure discomfort, you build mental "callouses" that increase your ability to stay focused under pressure.
My favorite ways of doing this are through the Wim Hof Methods like cold plunge, cold exposure, or the Wim Hof Breathing Method. They bring healthy distress to your body and the chemicals that come to my rescue feel incredible and last for hours.
Practical Step: Next time you want to quit early (at work or during a workout), push yourself to go 5-10 minutes longer than you think you can.
Pro Tip: Use a mantra like "I Can and I Will," or "Don't think, just do" to get past the toughest points.
Summary
To Focus Like a Zen Master:
- Get natural sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up (Huberman).
- Stack focus habits and declutter your environment (Clear).
- Schedule 90-minute deep work blocks without interruptions (Newport).
- Push past your perceived limits to strengthen mental resilience (Goggins).
“I Don’t Have Time for Focus Routines”
If you're too busy to "find time" for focus habits, start small. Even 5-10 minutes of focus training (like morning sunlight or a short deep work block) can create big improvements. Build from there.
Ready to reclaim your focus? Start by picking one of these techniques and applying it today. Track your results for one week and notice the difference. Comment below with your biggest challenge or win!
"Focus isn’t a superpower—it’s a skill. And skills can be trained."
Links and Resources
- More on focus techniques: Huberman Lab Podcast on Focus
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