4 Strategies For Preventing Distractions

Can we point to phones, laptops, and tablets as the root cause of our distractions? No, gadgets are not the main culprits for our loss of focus at work.

It is our emotions that trigger us to distract ourselves with self-entertainment. We engage in social media, internet games, and online shopping as diversions from boredom, loneliness, frustration, or fear of missing out.

Unfortunately, uncontrolled distractions can lower our productivity. To help you deal with your emotional triggers and remain focused, follow these four basic steps.

Master the Internal Trigger

Learn how to manage your impulse to distract yourself. Instead of blocking the temptation, acknowledge it exists and have the strength to assert, “Not now; later at ___.”

Also, take a moment to deal with the triggering emotion:

· Identify it. Are you bored, uncertain, or worried?

· Own the emotion and realize it is okay to feel that way.

· Find the root cause of that feeling.

· Discover how to deal with the emotion the right way instead of escaping it by distracting yourself.

Plan Your Distractions

Take control of your need to entertain yourself online while at work. Schedule your online shopping, video games, or Facebook checking. By setting specific times for these activities, they now become a pastime, not a distraction.

A good idea is to map out your schedule on a productivity planner. When you see how you manage your time on paper, you become aware of how you spend your hours every day.

Manage External Triggers

Control how gadgets can get you sidetracked at work. Turn off notifications and turn on airplane mode and website blockers. If you work from home, take out anything from your workspace that can distract you.

Replace gadgets with old-school things that have the same function. For instance, use a stopwatch or hourglass in place of the smartphone’s timer.

Commit to Your Plans

Stick to the plans and schedules you made earlier. Track your progress.

Keep yourself accountable to keep your focus on achieving your work goals. This way, you can prevent yourself from impulsively indulging in “a little bit” of distraction.

Negative emotions, not technology alone, lead us to escape by distraction. By realizing this fact, we can take control of our emotional triggers to work our way through them. Using the four strategies above, let’s resolve to regain our focus, curb distractions, and get work done.

Photo Credit: Mathildeaugustadam