Distractions!

Distractions! Distractions! Distractions!

They are everywhere! On your phone, at home, in school, at work, and pretty much everywhere you go. There is always something that will take your attention away. It can be quite irritating when distractions pop up. So, what to do with a world of distractions?

Notifications

Notifications are everywhere. In our phones, emails, and laptops, receiving notifications is the most disruptive way to steer attention from whatever you were doing.

Solutions: First and foremost, turn your notifications off. While it can be difficult and tempting to check your phone, it is important that you try to put your phone away when you don’t need it. While at school, put your phone in your bag, and avoid looking at it while you are concentrating with your work.

There are apps that can help you stay focused. I personally use the app “Screen Time Self Control” app to help with my distractions. For $6.49 bimonthly, this self control app will prevent you from looking at your phone, as long as you wish. To use the app, set the amount of time you want to stay off your phone. Once you do, the timer will start. If you use your phone at anytime while you’re on “focus time” not only a notification will pop up, warning you to get off your phone, but a sound alarm will go off and keep going off until you return to the app.

For me, the Self Control App has helped me stay focus on my work. I also get a much needed break from the world of distractions. To avoid getting distracted while on your laptop, download the Self-Control app for free, and select the sites you want to block yourself from going on for a certain period of time.

Loud Noises

Loud trucks, ambulances, kids, construction, the annoying neighbour who has to start mowing the grass at 7AM on a Saturday morning. You name it. External distractions is the most challenging to deal with. You can’t just tell a construction worker to stop doing their work or yell at your neighbour who you don’t get along with to be quiet.

While it is technically possible to tell the kids to stop making noises, it can be difficult for them to listen. It is just irritating when you want to have at least five minutes of peace and quiet. I can see all parents agreeing with me from a mile away.

Solutions: If there is construction in your area, try to leave the house as often as you can. If you need to study, try to go to your local library. If that’s not possible try to find a room with less noise and focus the best ypu can. Try to also find out when the construction work is expected to wrap up.

In terms of having children around, the best way to avoid distractions would be when they sleep. Of course, this is easier said than done.

Emergencies

Perhaps the most excusable reason to get distracted, being notified of an urgent situation can change your mindset throughout the rest of your day. It’s difficult to control an emergency, particularly a life and death one.

Solutions: Figure out what the emergency is and see if it can be resolved quickly. Being part of an emergency situation is definitely distracting, especially if it’s life and death. If the emergency is from your child asking you “what’s for dinner?”, try not to get irritated when you are in a false emergency.

There are plenty of reasons why we get distracted. Today’s world is pressuring us to give them their attention. What we see in the media can be distracting because they want your distraction. See what kind of distractions that you are willing to tolerate, and remove the ones that are not essential for you to get distracted from.

I hope this helps and keep on focusing!

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger