I realized this year that I have been struggling to get into deep focus at work for a long time. In my case, the main two things preventing focus were anxiety and ambient noise, and they play off each other. Ambient noise tends to distract me and keep my anxiety high.

I bought a pair of decent reusable earplugs and built a ritual of throwing them in whenever I want to be productive. To my surprise it was incredibly effective. When the ear plugs go in, I get right into the zone in minutes.

Another trigger I use to tell my mind it’s time to focus is to close my door. Even if I’m home alone, something about closing the door serves as a cue to my mind.

These are low cost things you can try and you will know immediately if they help you. If they don’t, maybe you can identify similar triggers that do work for you.