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The worst workplace distractions aren't your phone, email, or social media
Unpredictable work environments
Our work environment rarely lends itself to focus. So get more comfortable with distractions.
Our brains are brilliant at noticing anything that doesn’t match a pattern. We’re drawn to novelty, which makes a distraction—like a loud coworker or hearing a one-sided conversation—in an otherwise monotonous workday very hard to ignore.
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The 2 kinds of distractions
- Sensory distractions (External): The things happening around us, like colleagues talking, phones ringing, people moving around us, music playing, etc.
- Emotional distractions (Internal): The thoughts that make our attention drift from what we’re doing. For example, remembering a phone call you need to make or thinking about a future meeting.
Daniel Goleman
“It’s not the chatter of people around us that is the most powerful distractor, but rather the chatter of our own minds.”
Main sources of internal distraction
- Remote work or a lack of social interaction.
- Multitasking.
- Unpredictable work environments.
Emotional distractions are a symptom of our workplace culture
Lacking social interaction
Workplace isolation sends us to Twitter and Facebook. Or to check in on email and chat every 5-10 minutes to see if there’s a new message.
Solution: Creating a daily routine with time to connect with the people you work with and not just resorting to impersonal communication.
Multitasking
Living in a space of constant half-attention causes our brain to lose focus.
Solution: Adopt a work schedule designed around single-tasking. for that, learn to prioritize. Because distraction might actually be just confusion about what matters.
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Attention Management
It's is the practice of controlling distractions, being present in the moment, finding flow, and maximizing focus, so you can create a life of choice, around things that are important to you.
It is the ability to recognize when your attention is being stolen (or has the potential to be stolen) and to instead keep it focused on the activities you choose.
Choosing What You Attend To
Attention management offers a deliberate approach that puts you back in control, by managing both external and internal factors.
Practicing attention management means fighting back against the distractions and creating opportunities throughout your day to support your priorities.
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“Distractions are by-products of a problem. Something outside of you is pulling you away from yourself or a goal.”..."
Kyle Cease
Temptations and Interruptions
Distractions can be either:
- Temptations: When we take a break from work to check social media
- Interruptions: When we get annoyed or repeated emails disrupting our workflow.
While we can deal with these external problems, what can be more challenging is our internal urge to be distracted.
Covering Our Fears
Distractions are a way to mask what we are fearful of. Fear is a deception that comes from looking at something you’ve never done. It’s simply how your brain works — it believes anything could be death and everything you’ve already done has proven itself to be safe. Embracing fear makes it lose the grip on us.
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Increase your focus by setting goals
Whenever you have issues focusing, try setting goals. The most important tip anybody could give you at this point is that the smaller the goal, the better the result. Therefore, try focusing on one...
Organize your tasks for a better focus
Organizing your tasks according to their difficulty level has only positive effects on your work. You will not only keep track of what has been done and what remains to be done, but you will also make sure that both difficult and easy tasks are being performed.
Scheduling improves your focus
Carefully scheduling your daily program enables you to reach a better focus. As you plan your day, you should take care of dividing your tasks according to the available time. This way you will know from the beginning of the day what and when needs to be done, which will reduce considerably the time to make decisions, which is one of the main distractions when thinking to start a new task. Furthermore, including breaks in your schedule is almost essential, as these allow you to recharge your batteries and, therefore, work more efficiently afterwards.
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