Distraction: The Biggest Enemy of Focus

Distractions are our biggest enemies when it comes to focusing on a specific task. I bet we all, at some point in time, on daily basis, are distracted by some or the other means.

The modern-day scenario is full of distractions. Notifications, calls, random messages, gossips, memories, the internet, social media, an unfinished movie or series enroll themselves as some of the biggest distractions.

Below are a few points that will definitely help you in focusing on your work and avoiding distraction to a greater extent:-

• Be a little self-centered- Be a little self-centered and start avoiding the things that hold no value in your life, and those people who add a little time to your distraction part. Start by eliminating a few of the things and people, you will notice the positive amount of change that it brings in you.

Nearly 3 out of 4 workers (70%) admit they feel distracted at work, with 16% of people stating that they’re almost always distracted.

• Engage yourself in the work that seriously leads you towards your goals- Engage yourself in the things that really matter to you and bring you closer towards your life goals. Start using sticky notes and list the things that you wish to finish on a particular day. Before going to bed at night, strike off the points and you will feel unmatchable happiness within yourself. Before retiring for a day, prepare your next day’s task or schedule. And reward yourself when you complete them, one by one.
• Turn off your notifications- The most unavoidable device that keeps us uselessly busy all day long is our smartphones. We keep on checking our phones, now and then and are always distracted by them. Even turning off the notifications of social media apps on your phone will help you in gaining a lot of minutes to spend on things that really matter.

Research by Carnegie Mellon University and Spanish Telecommunications firm, Telefónica

When researchers tried to recruit 30 people for an experiment where the person had to turn off the notifications of each app for a week, they failed to find even a single participant.

Then, they limited the time of the experiment from a week to a single day, where they managed to recruit 30 participants. In the study, the participants were less distracted and more productive.

The research made two-third of the participants turn off their notifications for a longer period of time.

Also, two years later researchers found out that 13 people had still kept their notifications off.

• A study found that a person receives on average a total of 63.5 notifications per day.
• In fact, a recent study found that 84% of e-mail users keep their inboxes open in the background at all times, with 70% of e-mails being opened within 6 seconds of receipt.
• An average smartphone user checks his/her phone 47 times a day.
• Pomodoro technique- This is an effective time management technique. In this, you pay full attention to your work for a total of 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. This will complete your one Pomodoro. Once you complete four Pomodoro's take one hour break. You will see that by following this effective time management technique you will pay all your attention towards the things that need your focus in the first place.
• Spend some me-time- Never prepare a hectic schedule, as it will lead you towards boredom and you will feel uneasy while doing your work. So, start spending some me-time in which you can do things that you really like, things that freshen up your mood and help you in feeling relaxed. In this, me-time, you can listen to your favorite music, read a book or poetry, dance, sing, witness sunrise and sunset, or whatever you like.
• Sleep well- A sound sleep is must in order to keep you focused. A disturbed mind can never work properly and will always fail to deliver impactful results. So, take a sound sleep and night. And also try to get up early in the morning.

In this technology-reliant world, it can be a little tough to focus on your work, while working on a laptop or phones, but the points, I mentioned will help you in staying focused and shift your necessary time towards the things that really matter to you and brings you a step closer towards your dream future. So, try incorporating these techniques into your daily life and see the positive results in just a few days.