If you are like many other people, you may have trouble staying focused at work. And, today, on National Goof Off Day, it may be just that much more difficult.

While you sit at your desk, your mind may wander to things such as an upcoming vacation, that interesting Buzzfeed article that popped up on your Facebook feed or any number of other things. Some people have trouble staying seated at their desk and may like to get up and talk to co-workers frequently. This creates a backlog, with work piling up as your brain spends time focusing on other things. Finding a way to stay focused at work is important, and these tips can help.

Drink Coffee

Coffee is a great drink to consume for mental alertness. It can help you to shrug off the doldrums and actually has mental benefits for you to enjoy. It has been shown to improve mental focus through the caffeine boost it provides. Just be sure not to consume so much coffee that you get the jitters, as this could lead you right back to those mental distractions you were hoping to avoid.

Make Lists

Another great idea is to make lists of the things that you need to accomplish during the day. Seeing the list of to-do items sitting in front of you often is beneficial because it helps you to visualize what still needs to be done and how much you have accomplished so far during the day. There are a number of great list apps, including Microsoft To-Do which is included with Office 365 and is accessible on your desktop and phone making staying on task easy peasy.

Schedule Planned Breaks

With your list in front of you, you can set planned breaks. For example, you may take a planned coffee break after accomplishing the third to-do items on your list, and you may take a lunch break after the sixth to-do item has been crossed off the list. This helps you to control the number of times that you get up from the desk to wander to the break room or other areas of the office.

Staying focused at work can help you to improve productivity and job performance. If you often feel distracted while at work, you can try to follow some of these helpful tips to improve your focus on the job.