Hey health marketer,
Do you struggle to focus on your health copywriting because you have 100 other things on your to-do list?
It’s no secret that health marketers are busy. So busy that copywriting may wind up on the back burner when you have other deadlines to meet. And even though you know how important good copy is to your business, you can’t seem to make time for it.
I’ve been there. Since I’m a surgical nurse who moonlights as a health copywriter I’m used to the balancing act. But it wasn’t always that way…
When I first got into copywriting I had a hard time trying to do both. I couldn’t choose between nursing or copywriting. I had to do both. Since my nursing salary paid the bills I put more energy into it.
And like you, my health copy suffered.
It wasn’t until I discovered the hidden power of focus that I was able to find better balance. Once I started using it my copywriting ability exploded. Projects that took me weeks to complete came together in a few days. My writing became clear and it even helped me become a better nurse.
I want the same thing for you.
You can get everything done without sacrificing your copywriting. The key is making a few adjustments to have better focus on your work.
This blog post will show you how to do that.
And when you dial in on your focus something interesting will happen. It almost always begins to affect other areas of your life. Your work performance will improve in other areas and life will feel better.
So, keep reading if you want to use the power of focus to help you write better health copy.
We’re more connected than ever these days. With social media, email and cell phones you can talk to anyone pretty much 24/7. The digital age has made it easier to reach friends and loved ones all over the world.
This connectedness does have its’ drawbacks. When you’re bombarded with text messages, emails and notifications your focus can suffer. You’ll get distracted and have less time to get your work done.
Distractions do more than interrupt your focus. Too many of them can affect your mental health.
Field experiments have shown digital distractions can lead to more stress and anxiety. [1]
A research group decided to put this to the test. They asked a group of university students to turn on and maximize their phone alerts for 1 week.
The students felt less control over their environment when alerts were on. They were less productive and couldn’t get much work done. They felt less connected with others around them even with social media alerts turned on. [1]
Students with the highest number of phone interruptions even struggled with hyperactivity. They couldn’t stay focused on one task.
Have you ever felt this way? How often do you check your phone while you’re working? I used to do it all the time and it made my copywriting feel impossible.
Even checking your phone for a few minutes can interrupt your focus.
You see, when you switch your focus to something other than the work in front of you two things happen:
Why?
It’s because of the way your brain works. Switching tasks increases your brain’s cognitive effort (ability to perform). [1] So, it becomes harder to get your work done because your brain is bouncing from one task to the next.
This creates a domino effect, here’s how it usually happens:
You don’t need to pick up your phone to get distracted. Even hearing a notification steals your focus away from the task in front of you.
So, instead of writing your next great line of copy you start to wonder who’s reaching out to you… Is it an emergency? What if you don’t respond and someone needs your help?
See how anxiety comes into play?
The truth is that most of your phone notifications aren’t emergencies. They’re either casual text messages or social media alerts that can wait.
You see, distractions and lack of focus only lead to more of the same.
You don’t have to let distractions rule your life. Making a few adjustments in your copywriting routine can make a big difference.
Another study focused on office distractions and how they affect employees. [2] What they found isn’t very surprising. Employees who blocked distractions reported:
Their work improved and it was easier to get more done. You can use the same trick to make your health copywriting better.
When you get ready to write, block out distractions. Choose a quiet place to write where you can control the environment.
Block off your calendar for copywriting time so it doesn’t get put on the back burner when other things come up. And let others around you know what you’re doing so you don’t get interrupted.
What if phone alerts get in the way?
Silence them. Or put your phone in another room while you write. That way your focus isn’t interrupted every time you hear a ding or feel a vibration.
How to Keep Distractions in Their Place
It’s worth saying that not all distractions are bad. Distractions can actually help you if you’re able to keep them under control.
When you’re working hard on a project and feel mentally drained it’s time for a distraction. Walk away from your desk for a little bit to give your brain a rest.
This can help you jump back into your work when you’re ready. It also gives you a chance to check your phone or connect with others in person.
But you’ll have to keep this in check. Set break times for yourself and resist the urge to make them longer.
Distractions can be helpful when we use them the right way. And even though turning off phone alerts helps some people. It can make it harder for others to focus.
Some people may feel more anxious without phone alerts. They can’t focus on their work because they think they’re missing important messages.
What type of person are you? If you don’t know, there’s only one way to find out. Give it a try and pay attention to how you feel while you work.
You can keep track of how well you handled it by asking yourself a few questions.
Ask yourself these questions when you’re working with distractions. And then ask them again when you remove them. You can compare your answers to see what works best for you.
Another type of distraction that can make you more productive is multi-tasking. But wait, we learned earlier that switching tasks makes performance worse.
Well, there’s a gray area we should explore. Because using multitasking the right way can actually make you more productive. And it can even improve your work.
In an experimental study, researchers gave participants 6 different tasks to complete. [3]
The participants were placed into 2 groups. The first group needed to complete the tasks one after the other. While the second group could switch between tasks.
They found that too much multi-tasking hurt performance (working well) and productivity. So people that switched between tasks too often struggled to get work done.
But some of the people in group 2 found a sweet spot in their multi-tasking. The researchers found work performance increased at low levels of multi-tasking. This happens because when we become bored with one task, switching to a new task can help.
So, instead of forcing yourself to write a good headline or lead, move to the body copy. Or you can work on a completely different project to reset your focus.
This signals your brain to become interested in the new task. And when you come back to your first task it’s easier to get done.
The same is true for productivity. When you multi-task a little your productivity shoots through the roof. But when you do it too much both performance and productivity plummet.
Now that you know how to use distractions to your advantage let’s talk about flow.
Earlier I mentioned how blocking distractions in an office led to deeper focus and flow. Being in a flow state can lead to deeper engagement, better work and even innovation. [2]
What is flow?
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi introduced flow theory in the 1970s. [4] And since then other psychologists have studied flow and proven its benefits.
Flow is defined as a psychological state when someone is intensely focused on their work. While in the flow state people are able to achieve great things.
Csikszentmihalyi observed athletes, writers, musicians and surgeons while they worked.
He wanted to understand how these high level performers stayed on top of their game. He discovered a difference in the way they worked compared to others.
While some people put out mediocre work and entertained distractions. These professionals were completely absorbed in what they were doing.
When he asked them how they felt while working they answered:
“It feels like being carried by a current like a river flows”
People who enter the flow state become so absorbed in their work that time speeds up or slows down. The world around them melts away. And the only thing they’re concentrated on is the task in front of them. [4]
This leads to better performance, higher productivity and greater work satisfaction.
Have you ever felt like this?
I sure have and it feels amazing to be completely absorbed in my work. It makes difficult tasks seem easy and I’m able to get way more done.
You can do this with your health copywriting. It’s easier to achieve flow when you’re writing. That’s because activities that have rules and force you to learn skills help you get there.
How do you achieve flow?
One way you can push yourself into the flow state is by taking on difficult work. The harder your brain has to work the more you focus on what you’re doing.
It’s important that your tasks aren’t too hard to complete. You’ll need to strike a balance between challenge and skill to enter the flow state.
So, choose tasks that make you stretch out of your comfort zone a little. As time goes on your skills will improve and you can take on bigger challenges.
I talk about goals a lot in my blog posts because they’re valuable. If you want to achieve the flow state or even improve your focus you need to set goals.
The goals you set should be clear and reachable. When you set a target to hit you’re able to hone in on your work. Because instead of hopping from one thing to the next, you’re focused on getting from point A to point B.
If you want to use flow to improve your health copywriting, you need feedback. The feedback you use needs to be direct so you can work on getting better over time.
The best way to get this feedback is to pay attention to the results of your health copy. Don’t take it personally if an email bombs or your posts don’t get enough engagement.
Take the feedback for what it’s worth and get better.
This one should be easy for you now. You know how to remove harmful distractions so you can concentrate on your work. And you know how to build useful distractions into your routine for mental breaks when you need them.
Use this concentration to focus completely on your writing and you’re on your way to better flow.
It’s easier to concentrate when you use curiosity to your advantage.
How can curiosity help you concentrate?
Researchers have observed that higher levels of curiosity lead to greater flow. They found the same for creativity and flow.
You may not feel like you’re a creative person but it’s there inside of you. And you need to bring it out if you want to write better health copy.
It’s almost impossible to separate curiosity and creativity from flow. They work together to help you put out great work.
You won’t be interested in every project you take on but there’s a way around this. Before you start writing, keep your mind open to all points of view. That way when you research you aren’t quick to dismiss a study because it doesn’t fall in line with the rest of your copy.
You may need to change your copy completely if you discover a different way to reach your prospects. In other words “kill your darlings”. This will help you write better health copy in two ways:
Focus is the key to achieving good flow. Soon you’ll be able to enter the flow state whenever you want to and copywriting will become much easier for you.
Now that you know how powerful focus is, it’s time to use it. Set up a copywriting routine that helps you block out harmful distractions. Use helpful distractions for mental breaks when you need them.
The better you get at doing this the greater your chances are of entering the flow state.
And when that happens your health copywriting ability will explode.
That’s all I have for you this week.
Yours for better health copywriting,
Brandon Davis
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References
[1] Kushlev, K., Proulx, J., Dunn, E. W. (2016). “Silence Your Phones” Smartphone Notifications Increase Inattention and Hyperactivity Symptoms. Retrieved from interruptions.net
[2] Mark G., Czerwinski, M., Iqbal, S. T. (2017, September). How blocking distractions affects workplace focus and productivity. Retrieved from researchgate.net
[3] Adler, R. F., Benbunan-Fich, R. (2012) Juggling on a high wire: Multitasking effects on performance. International Journal of Human-Computer Sciences (70) (156-168)
[4] Heerden, A. V. (2010 ). Creativity, the flow state and brain function. Retrieved from journals.co.za