Well, there are hundreds, but going through them all would be distracting, so here’s our 5 favourite hacks to say no to distractions
Productivity — a word you’ll hear constantly in the workplace.
While most of us try to be productive, the biggest challenge is the enormous range of potential distractions in the modern office environment. Whether it’s an annoying co-worker, micromanaging bosses or periodic social media browsing, there’s no end to the distractions that could sway us away from the actual task.
So, the next time you just “take a glance” at Twitter, or rant to your colleague about how your weekend went, remember that it’s time you aren’t working on your key tasks. In this article, I’d like to share 5 productivity hacks for dealing with common workplace distractions.
1. White noise and headphones
Noise from your surroundings, whether it’s in the form of loud co-workers or a noisy office location, can prevent you from staying focused. Wearing headphones (if they’re noise cancelling, even better) with some white noise can help you minimize these distractions. As an added bonus, people are unlikely to disturb you for trivial conversations if you’ve got headphones on. For those who prefer to listen to music while working, instrumentals are less distracting. Set a productivity playlist and work away. Let Mozart pave the way to a productive day!
2. Automate social media restriction
We’re always talking about our excessive dependence on social media and how we should stop. But it never seems to happen. What if I told you that there are apps to automate avoiding these distractions? Apps like Offtime, Flipd & AppDetox will block out your social media apps for the designated period of time. Optimize your laptop to avoid social media distractions with apps like StayFocusd and Freedom.
3. Declutter
Your workspace influences your mind-space. Have only what you need and constantly dispose of things you don’t need. Label your files well, online or offline. Keep written targets, preferably on eye-catching neon Post-it notes, to stay focused.
4. Keep calm and carry on
There’s another kind of chaos that doesn’t come from your physical environment. It’s internal. A huge workload can seem overwhelming and lead you to procrastinate. Making too many decisions during the day can also cause you to feel fatigued. So, here’s some basics of time management. It’s not enough that you set a work-schedule to finish tasks. PRIORITIZE. Be clear of why you’re doing a certain task and what you will gain if you complete it. Being mechanical at work with no mental rewards leads to fatigue. So, enjoy your work a little.
5. Finding your flow
Most creative projects require you to get in the ‘flow’. It’s hard to find this with gazillion distractions. A good organizational culture that recognizes this need and arranges for time where you will not be disturbed would be useful. Manage your time so that you have both quiet slots to work AND opportunities to engage with co-workers to bounce ideas around — after making sure you aren’t distracting them, of course!
