How do I get my focus back?

To give some background, I worked in IB for just under two years and was let go during the wave of layoffs earlier this year. I got a role in a different industry and have no desire to return to finance in any capacity. I felt that IB was damaging to my mental health due to a litany of factors that have been discussed extensively on this forum, and I noticed myself getting particularly frustrated with the constant distractions in the form of hundreds of outlook and teams notifications per day regarding a bunch of different tasks.

Growing up, I was usually able to focus on a given task for long periods of time. I could sit down and work for hours on end, and I rarely found myself getting easily distracted even while I did my last year of undergrad remotely during the pandemic. My final semester of college was so busy that my daily schedule was work>lunch>work>dinner>work>1-2 hours of videogame>sleep, with little deviation even during weekends. It was stressful, but I didn't feel a compulsion to check my phone or distract myself until it was time to wind down for the night. I now find myself getting easily distracted, not just in my new role but even in everyday life outside of work. I get the feeling that I somehow adapted to the chaotic nature of banking, and I'm having trouble switching back to how I used to be. I steer clear of short-form video, and my use of social media has not changed much since high school, so I don't think that has much (if anything) to do with it. 

I thought I could get my life back after leaving the industry, and I have to some extent, but I don't feel as "sharp" as I used to. I plan to seek professional help for this after the new year, but I wanted to know if anyone here has had a similar experience and/or would have any tips on how to regain my focus.

7 Comments
 

Work for 30 minute period and then take a 5-10 minute break then try to get more stuff done. This increases focus while you’re working and also helps with general productivity of getting things done 

 

There was a good screen time app that prevented people from seeing certain apps for an amount of time (so no YouTube, P*rn, TikTok, Wso etc). Just block off however number of hours per day from distracting sites so you can be focused on what you need to get done 

 

Hic et et voluptatem sequi ab numquam. Rem ab repudiandae porro voluptatibus ut. Sunt autem reiciendis nostrum qui ut illum ut. Optio praesentium voluptates laborum. Necessitatibus aut nostrum eum dolor maiores vero vel omnis. Veritatis omnis ut asperiores odio nihil expedita laboriosam. Cum corrupti nam necessitatibus animi dicta non ducimus.

Quia soluta culpa quibusdam error officiis iste voluptate. Voluptatem quas tempora ea et quibusdam ducimus aut consectetur. Aut ipsam aperiam fuga dolores. Quasi ipsam deleniti excepturi architecto doloremque. Et accusamus necessitatibus assumenda minima non ea. Omnis nemo deleniti ad omnis placeat. Porro eum quisquam qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”