Mastering distractions in life
How can you reclaim your life from the daily distractions that prevent you from living a stress-free life?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “distraction” as “something that prevents someone from giving their full attention to something else.”
There is also a second definition, which is very appropriate for our study of stress and its intricate connections to our daily lives: distraction is extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.
Where do the distractions come from?
Distractions are often things in our environment that frequently grab our attention, even if they have absolutely no connection to what you are currently doing.
Sometimes it is our own fault that we are distracted. You check your Facebook or Twitter when you get bored at work. You open your email even if you checked it a few minutes ago.
Sometimes the distractions come from other people who are not fully aware of their need to finish their own tasks and obligations.
There will also be situations where other people end up wasting your time on trivial matters, simply because you were available at the time. Interactions can easily turn into full-blown distractions that take you away from your work, leading to delays and toxic levels of stress.
How can you effectively handle electronic distractions such as emails, instant messages, etc.?
We are already living (and quite immersed) in the age of electronics. Nowadays, people have to deal with not only email, they also have to deal with conventional phone calls, Skype calls, Skype messages, instant messages, text messages, messages and FaceTime calls … the list goes on and on. and continues.
A person can be as connected as they want to with other people, but as an immediate drawback, they would have to tend to all active communication channels. At first, it can seem fun to have so many ways to talk to family, friends, and coworkers.
However, the novelty wears off very quickly when you are in the middle of a hard day at work and your smartphone notifications ring every 5-10 minutes. Here are some ways you can handle this type of distraction:
1. Check and respond in batches – Don’t look at all emails and text messages as soon as you receive them, especially if you have something urgent to finish.
Please acknowledge that you have received them and review them all later. If you review each message individually as they arrive, you will become very distracted and may lose any vital momentum that you may have had.
2. Disable instant notifications – Today’s devices are extremely efficient at notifying users when new emails, instant messages, or text messages are received. However, this efficiency doesn’t really support the kind of productivity you need to complete critical and urgent tasks.
Put your phone or computer in “silent mode” and focus on finishing your tasks. Again, you can check out all your new messages later, after you’ve made some progress on your work.
3. Reply with short messages – Do not call anyone unless absolutely necessary. Of course, this guideline does not apply to family members. Call your spouse or children when something important or urgent comes up.
How can you avoid being distracted by visitors?
There will be times when visitors will no longer be welcome due to the large number of tasks that will have to be completed very soon. Visitors are distractions, plain and simple. If you can’t afford to stay longer, it’s best to manage the amount of time you give to other people.
Here are some pro tips to prevent visitors from stealing your valuable work time:
1. Let them know – This is the most effective way to persuade a visitor to leave. Just tell visitors that you are not available because you have something very urgent and important to finish.
Tell the visitor that you will contact them in the future, right after they are done with what they are doing. However, I would discourage you from saying this to everyone who visits, as you may end up with a long list of “I will contact you” at the end of the day.
2. Change your location – If you are doing something at home, avoid high traffic areas. I call this “hiding” because you are moving out of people’s line of sight. Out of sight, out of mind! Changing your workplace can give you a temporary respite from distractions.
3. Not available – If you allow people to distract you, they will, simply because they can. If you have a chair near your desk, put something on it so people aren’t tempted to sit down for a “quick chat.” Put on headphones so people aren’t tempted to make small talk.