16 Secrets To Beating Distractions

Distractions are so commonplace these days that we even become distracted from the distractions.

Many of our senses are overwhelmed (e.g. by advertisements, noise and music, smells) throughout out waking hours, to the point where concentration has almost become a superpower.

This article reveals a few secrets and strategies, some obvious and some less so, you can use to overcome these demands for your attention, so you can focus on what you should be working on.

Turn Off Or Hide Electronic Devices

This is both obvious, and difficult to do for many people.

By electronic devices, I include computers, smartphones, tablets, televisions, and radios.

The tricky one here is, of course, the computer – many of us need this tool to do our work, but ironically, it’s also the source of so many distractions (e.g. alerts, notifications, email, social media).

What you should do is turn off everything you do not need to do your work, and if that is not possible, place them out of reach, turn off unnecessary notifications, and if all else fails, place the device on your desk screen side down so at least you will not encounter any visual distractions.

Shut Off The Outside World

This may not be practical in all situations for all people, but if you can:

• Close your door (whether it’s an office at work, or a room you use at home)
• Wearing noise-cancelling headphones to block out noise
• Tell people you do not want to be disturbed for a specified period of time

Use Website Blocking Apps

If you truly find it impossible not to check certain sites when you should be working (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), then install and use software that lets you block access to specified sites during certain hours.

Do Not Attempt To Multitask

Studies have shown that humans are actually very bad at multitasking (i.e. trying to do more than one thing at once).

In fact, the human brain is wired in such a way that true multitasking is not possible.

When you think you’re multitasking, what you are actually doing is switching between activities very rapidly.

The problem with this is that other research has concluded that it takes you a while to regain your original train of thought after your brain returns from an interruption.

So, sticking to a single task or activity will be more productive in the long run, with fewer opportunities to make mistakes because of a distraction.

Prioritize Your To-Do List

It seems common these days for the list of jobs we need to do to grow faster than we can work on them – and this can rapidly become overwhelming.

A better approach is to list the top activities, ideally no more than three, that you absolutely need to accomplish, and work only on those.

When you have specific goals, you are less likely to be distracted by other things that pop up.

Set Challenging Deadlines

I’m sure you’ve all come across some version of Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work tends to expand to fill the time we have available for its completion.”

Studies have also found that we work better when we know we have a deadline to meet.

So, when you have a piece of work to do, set yourself a deadline that is doable – but challenging.

If you allow yourself to much time, you may be distracted because you think you have plenty of time to finish the work, and if you are too aggressive with your deadline, you may be unable to achieve that goal.

Use An Accountability Partner

In the context of the office, or other job where you work for somebody else, you will usually be told when a piece of work must be completed, but if you work for yourself, there is nobody standing over you with a watch in their hands.

Having somebody who can hold you accountable for the promises you make (e..g “I will have your report ready by 5:00 pm today”) is a great idea because it makes use of the fact that most of us do not like to let others down – and failing to do what we say we will do is, in effect, not only letting ourselves down, but also letting down our accountability partner.

Understand What Distracts You

There is a study out of Harvard that found we spend approximately half of our waking hours thinking about things that are not what we ought to be doing.

That’s a lot of time, when you add it all up, so it makes sense to try to get a handle on why you get distracted (e..g is it ideas, people talking, movement in your peripheral vision) so that you can try to address those specific distractions.

Use A Time Management Method

Systems such as the Pomodoro Method take account of the fact that humans are not great at focusing for too long on a single task, and that the brain needs a rest from time to time.

In summary, systems like this have you focus on one task for a set period of time (e.g. 50 minutes), and then you take a short break (e.g. 10 minutes). The exact numbers can vary – there are other similar methods out there, and when you first start using this approach, you may find it hard to work for 50 minutes without a distraction.

Try Work That Is More Challenging

One reason we get distracted is because the work we are doing is not sufficiently engaging. In other words, we find it too easy (or, at least, not mentally stimulating enough), so we get bored and our mind wanders.

By taking on jobs that are more challenging, we are placing greater demands on our brain, which means the chances of being distracted lessen.

Reduce Stress

When we are stressed, our brain is not working as well as it usually would, and it is much easier to become side-tracked.

Recognizing when we are anxious or stressed, and taking a break to deal with it, can help us get back on track again.

Easy stress-reduction techniques you can use on the spur of the moment include controlled breathing exercises, exercise (e.g. a short walk), or even a few minutes of meditation.

Eliminate Clutter

The more cluttered your work space, the more opportunities there are for distractions.

Your desk (or wherever you work) should only have things on it that you need to accomplish your current task.

Breaks Are For Chit-Chat

When you are busy and trying to focus on the task at hand, you really don’t have time for idle chit-chat and office gossip – that’s what breaks are for.

So if you are busy and somebody tries to engage you in conversation (that is not related to what you’re doing and is not a work emergency), politely tell them that you are too busy to talk right now, but you will catch up with them at a more convenient time.

Have Healthy Snacks Available

When you’re hungry, it’s hard to ignore the distraction that creates – so have a few healthy snacks available that you can munch on, without have to get up from your desk and interrupt your work.

Minimize Time In Meetings

If your company is anything like the one I last worked at, a meeting is one of the least productive and most frustrating ways to spend your time.

In my experience, too many meetings had no formal agenda, there were people present who had no idea why they were there, decisions were rarely made, and they almost always overran.

So, if you are invited to attend a meeting (or workshop), you should ensure you know what the purpose of the meetings is (e.g. what problem is it trying to solve), and why you, specifically, are there (e.g. what is it about you and your knowledge / expertise that makes your attendance important).

Play Music

This should, of course, be music that helps you work, which means most songs, with lyrics, should be ruled out because of the distracting qualities of the human voice.

Instrumental music, however, can be conducive to concentrating, but not all music works for everybody.

Some people find bird song or nature sounds to be beneficial, while others might prefer electronic / trance, or classical piano.

Find something that works for you, and listen to it on your headphones.

Conclusion

I hope you find a few ideas here to help you be more productive.

Also, don’t forget that you need to get enough sleep – being tired (or worse) is going to make it difficult to concentrate on anything, which increases the chances of being distracted.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Meditation For Beginners
2. Pomodoro Technique