How to Eliminate Distractions: We would all like to be productive individuals with razor-sharp focus at all times.
However, distractions always seem to ruin our perfectly laid out plans.
Something or someone interrupts you and other times you go seeking distractions.
Before you know it three hours have passed and you are nowhere near finishing a one-hour task.
Distractions lower your productivity but staying focused at work is easier said than done.
The good news is that there are things you can do about it.
We highlight seven ways to eliminate distractions in this article.
How to Eliminate Distractions
You are 64% more likely to be distracted while working in an open office.
However, it doesn’t matter if you are working in a noisy office or alone in your room, distractions can always sneak up on you.
Notifications could lure you into spending hours checking your email or social media.
You may even remember other little things on your to-do list.
Such as quickly texting a friend, or arranging your bookshelf.
Below are some tips to help you deal with distractions and be more productive.
1. Set a Goal and Have a Plan
If you struggle with distractions every time you attempt to work, a clearly stated work plan can help.
You can write down your goals for the task and how much time you intend to spend achieving them.
Writing down potential distractions to avoid may also make you less likely to succumb when temptation comes.
For example, your plan could say “fill in the application form – 30 minutes – No social media until the task is finished”.
2. Create a Shorter Time Frame
You should always fix a shorter time frame for a task than it normally takes.
This is because work will usually fill up whatever time we set for it and ask for more.
We refer to that phenomenon as Parkinson’s law.
If you give yourself four days to draft an email, there is a tendency that you won’t get it finished until day four.
If you give yourself one hour to draft the same email, you are likely to finish it in less than two hours.
It helps if you set your timer to go off at intervals until the time you set has expired.
It is a great way to create a sense of urgency within you that encourages you to ignore distractions.
3. Make your Environment Less Distracting
If you work from home or share an office, chances are that your family or colleagues distract you a lot.
You cannot ask your family to leave the house or your colleagues to get out of the office.
But you can politely ask your family and colleagues for their cooperation.
Let them know that you are working and would appreciate it if they did not distract you for an hour or so.
If possible, close the door to your office or move to an empty room in your house if you work from home.
If there are no empty rooms, you can create a boundary around your work area and ask that no one crosses it.
In some situations, you cannot change the environment to be less distracting.
Simply put on noise-canceling headphones and get to work.
4. Deal with Digital Interrupters
Your phone or computer is probably your number one source of distraction.
The average person can only focus on an onscreen task for 40 seconds before a distraction cuts in.
If you are working on a computer, close tabs that are not essential to the task at hand. They are potential distractions.
You can help yourself by turning off your phone.
Sometimes you need your phone to get the task done so switching it off is not feasible.
There are ways around that problem.
You can turn off notifications for certain Apps or hide them.
5. Get Comfortable at Work
If your work environment is uncomfortable, it could affect your attitude towards work.
Take this example, you are sitting in an uncomfortable chair that makes your back hurt and working on a challenging task.
Don’t you think you might get tired more quickly and want to seek some comfort (distractions) more often?
Before you begin work for the day, take some time to clean your workspace. Remove trash and unnecessary items that could mess up your concentration.
6. Take a Break
Every task you complete has taken energy from you, physically and mentally.
Well-timed breaks can help you recharge and get your energy levels back up.
Then you would be ready to focus on the next tasks.
Rather than see your breaks as an escape from work, try viewing them as a reward for good work.
Condition your mind to believe that 30 minutes of your favorite show is a gift for working without getting distracted.
7. Unsubscribe
We all get too many emails.
Telling us to buy this or buy that.
Before you know it, you’ve spent 30 minutes reading junk, or worse still, bought something that you never needed in the first place.
Unsubscribe from all but 3-5 lists.
Identify people you like and trust and stay on those lists only.
Conclusion
Distractions are dangerous because they steal our precious time.
It is important to deal with any psychological factors responsible for distractions.
It makes dealing with distractions easier.
