By Mandy Green
1 minute read
As an admissions counselor or higher ed professional, staying focused and productive is critical to reaching your enrollment goals, building meaningful connections, and managing your responsibilities. Yet, certain digital habits might be silently undermining your effectiveness.
Here are two that hold many people back:
Leaving Too Many Tabs Open
Having multiple browser tabs open creates a mental clutter that can disrupt your focus. Each open tab represents something unfinished, and notifications (like new emails or social media alerts) make it tempting to “check just one thing.” Before you know it, you’re in an internet rabbit hole, spending valuable time on tasks that don’t align with your priorities.
Why it’s bad: Constantly switching between tabs splits your attention and decreases your ability to focus deeply on one task. You also waste time reorienting yourself after every distraction.
Fix it: When you sit down to work, close all unnecessary tabs. Only keep open what’s directly related to your current task. For even better focus, use tools like browser extensions that temporarily “hide” tabs until you need them.
Checking Your Phone First Thing in the Morning
When you reach for your phone as soon as you wake up, you’re starting your day in reactive mode. Emails, texts, and notifications hijack your attention and shift your focus to other people’s needs and priorities instead of your own. This prevents you from beginning your day with a clear mind and a proactive plan for what you want to accomplish.
Why it’s bad: Checking your phone immediately fills your mind with distractions and stress before you’ve even had a chance to set your intentions for the day. It leaves you scrambling to react instead of calmly starting with purpose.
Fix it: Instead of checking your phone first thing, use the first 10–15 minutes of your morning for yourself. Plan your day, review your goals, or simply enjoy some quiet time. By starting proactively, you set the tone for a focused and productive day.
If one of these hits home for you, this week commit to tackling it. Small changes can make a big difference in your focus and productivity.