Your phone is constantly buzzing, your computer screen keeps showing new email notifications and that coworker stopped by yet again to ask for a project update.
Distractions live everywhere!
If you’re anything like me, you probably sat over brunch with friends this weekend and noticed that everyone’s head is buried deep in their phones. I’ll be the first to admit I can be guilty of this as well. There have been times where I look back on a conversation and simply can’t remember what was said. I used to think it was because I had a poor memory but the reality is, I was just distracted from what was happening right in front of me. Do you struggle to get present?
So, how can you take back control of your time and attention? Here are a few proven strategies for overcoming distractions and reclaiming your focus.
Put yourself on distraction-free mode. Begin building habits that eliminate distractions and help you to stay focused.
Be deliberate about how you use your phone! Start by better managing your phone usage.
- Turn off as many push notifications on your phone as possible.
- Set alarms and adhere to them! Be cognizant of how many times your check your phone. Take it one step further and set an alarm to “check notifications.” This will help you save time and eliminate distractions by checking all notifications at time intervals you control.
- Remove distracting apps from your home screen.
- Turn on your phone’s grayscale. Colorful icons give our brains shiny rewards every time we unlock. By setting your phone to grayscale you remove those positive reinforcements. It helps many people check their phone less.
Work ways that signal to yourself and those around you that you do not want to be interrupted. Close the door to your office. Put on noise cancelling headphones. Plan your day.
Set three main objectives every day. A long list can feel insurmountable and leave you feeling overwhelmed. To beat this, give yourself three objectives to accomplish every day. Write them on a sticky note and post it where you can see it every time you look up from your work. Studies show that having too many goals can be distracting and actually keep you from achieving them.
By limiting the number of goals, you’ll have clearly defined what you need to prioritize and you’ll get more done. You can begin to tackle those less important tasks once you’ve accomplished the first three goals.
Utillize timers assign time limits on tasks. Giving yourself a shorter time frame to finish your work is like setting an artificial deadline which helps you keep focused. The best way to do is is through the “Pomodoro Method,” in which you set a timer and are completely focused on a task for 45 minutes straight, followed by a 15-min break. If this seems like too much, try 25 minute intervals with 5 minute breaks in between.
We’ve all been there. Even with the best of intentions to stay on task, we still catch ourselves scrolling through social media when we should be working on a project. We can’t help but grab our cell phone the moment we hear a notification. And then there’s email! If we aren’t checking it every five minutes, we worry we might miss something important.
Distractions can seem impossible to avoid. Statistics show that distractions cause a massive loss in productivity. The typical manager is interrupted every eight minutes, and employees generally spend 28 percent of their time dealing with unnecessary interruptions and trying to get back on track.
*Stahl, Ashely. “How to overcome distraction and get work done” Forbes November 2019