Distraction, distraction, distraction

Why do we get distracted so very easily?

The first and most obvious reason is because there are so many things distracting us. When you are sitting at your desk: email, instant messaging (pop ups), telephone, cell phone (and all the different ways it can be distracting), ambient music, people, thoughts, cravings, worries, bodily needs, reminders, outside sounds – the list can go on.

Then there is the fact that research has shown that it is so much easier for us to be distracted rather than focussed. Our brains find it much easier to “sniff around” or be distracted than focussing on one thing.

Another aspect of distraction vs. focus is that being distracted uses up energy. Every time you change focus or activity in order to do or focus on something else we use a measurable amount of glucose and other metabolic resources. We therefor become less efficient at the following task than the previous one because we literally have less resource (if not replenished)

So what to do?

One method is to block out or then turn off. Control the things you can control. If you are going to work on something that necessitates a great deal of concentration, simply turn of the cell phone, turn of your laptop’s data connection and unplug the telephone.  “You can’t do that. If you unplug the office phone the boss will think you are dodging work” Scolds the little voice in my head. Yes, that is true. Only do what is practical. But even at work you can temporarily turn of email and you cell phone.

You can also work on a “scheduling “ system. This means that you will check email and voice mail only at certain scheduled intervals in your day.

Both these methods will creates a situation where there is no action needed from you to block out any distraction as the distraction simply is not there.

A method that may go hand-in-hand with the previous two is to be self-aware and to stop your thought process before they become a new avenue of focus. In other words you think “hmm I could really use a snack now”. Instead of exploring snack options you simply shut the thought down with a cognitive: “not now”. This will allow you to fairly easily maintain your current focus.

Lastly you could use planning as a weapon. By completing the more arduous thinking / focussing activities in the morning, while you still have loads of energy and less inner distractions like “I’m hungry”, you can get away with less focussed activity like screening voicemail, checking email or other “auto-pilot activities in the afternoons when you have less energy and thoughts of your couch at home become far more enticing than focussing on the finance report in front of you.

There are obviously many more things that distract us (don’t get me started on side-of-the-road or internet advertising) so use the principles of this blog in other areas of life as well.

Have a tremendous evening everyone!