A WHILE ago I self-diagnosed myself as a stage one faffer.

On the scale of faffing — the art of distracting oneself from the task at hand — my tendency to make cups of tea, water my plants and scroll Instagram was certifiable time-wasting but not so grievous I didn’t meet deadlines.

I had seen stage two faffers (those who serve dinner at 10pm) and stage three culprits (miss planes/forget to collect their kids/haven’t updated their LinkedIn profile since 2011) and knew my condition was minor in comparison.

But recently it’s been getting worse. Everyone I know has been saying the same: they can’t concentrate like they used to. We all blame technology but that’s like blaming the sun for sunburn; life is only going to become more digitised so clearly it’s our behaviour we need to amend.

So I went in search of some time-management advice — well, after I checked my superannuation balance and lusted after the boho dresses on a couple of fashion websites.

That’s how I came across Chris Bailey, a 29-year-old “productivity guru” who has just published his second book, Hyperfocus. He believes our brains have limited “attentional space” and that we’re trying to cram too much into the grey matter. We can achieve more, he argues, if we learn to hyperfocus — not staring intently at others, apparently. Naturally he has a series of tips which I’ve kindly road-tested.

Set yourself no more than three daily tasks.
Seriously? I’ve generally done three tasks before I’ve had my first cuppa. By 7am the washing is on, the dishwasher unstacked and the cats fed. I presume Bailey means three “work” tasks but, again, three would be a doddle. You have to write down your tasks. Preferably on a whiteboard. I use a sheet of A4.

1. Write 800 word feature for magazine.

2. Phone interview with famous British actress at 7pm.

3. Email invoices.

The feature and invoices are done by midday. Seven hours lie ahead until the interview so I prepare dinner, hang out aforementioned washing and write a parenting page for another magazine (granted I work from home so am not hindered by pesky meetings). Still, I’m beginning to think Bailey is a lightweight.

Do a phone swap.
Our guru is right when he says our phones are productivity and inspiration killers. Even when they’re face down on the table they sap our focus. I follow his suggestion of leaving my phone on silent in another room. It’s genius. I become so absorbed in a long piece of writing that I’m buzzing with energy when I finish the piece earlier than anticipated. It feels good to do one thing well rather than a dozen things badly. However, his suggestion of swapping phones with a friend once a week is just silly talk.

Set an hourly awareness alarm.
According to Bailey, after 40 your mind wanders less but it takes longer to get back on track when you’re distracted. He advises switching off email and social media notifications but advocates an “awareness” chime to “check back into your personal attention space”. As someone who sets an alarm as an aide memoir then can’t remember for what purpose I’ve set it, the chime did my head in. The adrenal rush of trying to remember why my phone was chiming could only be alleviated by eating biscuits. Had I followed this tip I’d have ended up distracted and fat.

Switch environments.
Apparently we’re more creative when surrounded by mess yet more focused when our environment is tidy. What to do — throw everything on the floor when you need ideas then tidy up to execute them? Bailey suggests going for a walk when you need fresh thoughts. I’ve done this for years. It works. Well, unless you work on an industrial estate.

Ditch brain training apps for meditation.
I get Bailey’s point — our brains need to be slowed down, not stimulated. I reluctantly reinstate a meditation app and find a Scottish bloke reading poetry. He sends me to sleep which hardly aids productivity.

Get an alarm clock.
Bailey wants us to stop taking our devices to bed and waking up with them. My sleep is instantly improved and I wake an hour earlier than my alarm. I knock off some work before the kids wake up. Brilliant tip.

Save your first coffee for work.
I’ve always enjoyed the midmorning coffee boost so no change here. He points out that more than 400mg (eight to nine cups) can be detrimental. Duh.

Play a song on repeat.
Simple and familiar music on repeat enhances productivity. I play the Rolling Stones’s Satisfaction and can’t write a word. Angus and Julia Stone work a treat.

Take a mindful shower.
Typically my mind is racing through this daily ritual but Bailey’s suggestion of focusing on the sensations brings me into the present. I wonder how many other small pleasures we race through.

Have a glass of wine.
A small glass in the evening can make us more creative and we should bash out thoughts after a few sips. Pinot for productivity — perhaps it’s even tax deductible?