How to Overcome Distractions

Last Updated: August 10, 2020 References

Distractions can impact your productivity at work, school, and at home. If you want to curb the habit and make distractions a thing of the past, start adding some structure to your life. Manage your time by sticking to a schedule and taking breaks. Get rid of things that interrupt your work or that tend to distract you. Making small changes like clearing your desk or turning off your phone notifications can help keep your concentration high.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Small Changes

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Keep electronics away.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Rahti Gorfien, PCC
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 17 December 2019.} If you know your smartphone or tablet will distract you, keep them away from you. Put your electronics out of sight or power them down if you tend to get wrapped up in them. Keep your electronics in another room, in a drawer, or somewhere where you cannot easily access them.^{[2]
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- Turn off sounds so that they don’t distract you.
- If you’re working on a computer or use your smartphone to aid in your work, consider using applications that encourage productivity and limit distractions. For example, download a browser extension that blocks or limits time on social media.
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Turn off notifications. Seeing your phone light up and alert you of an email or social media interaction can lead to unexpectedly spending 15 minutes distracted. If you find these notifications distracting, turn off desktop notifications on your computer. Many smartphones have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature, which will keep notifications from alerting you. You can also disable push notifications temporarily or permanently.^{[3]
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- Even turning your phone over or keeping desktop tabs open in the background can be distracting. If you really want to beat these distractions, eliminate them.
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Reward yourself. Keep yourself motivated to stay on task by creating rewards for yourself. Especially if you’re resisting something, create a reward around completing it. For example, reward yourself with a television show, sweet treat, cup of tea, or guilt-free internet time.^{[4]
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- If you’re tempted to turn to a distraction, keep your reward in mind.
4
Clear your desk and keep your area organized. Keep your desk free of clutter and other items that may distract you. For example, if you have a stack of to-do items on your desk, put them in a folder in a drawer instead. Keep your phone off of your desk so that you don’t reach for it. Keep your desk simple and distraction-free.^{[5]
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- Don’t keep books you might want to read or games on your desk.
- You may also find it helpful to change your location now and then to help improve productivity. Try going to a different area of your office to work, or go to a coffee shop or the library for a total change of location.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Managing Your Time

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Write a to-do list. If you get distracted by extraneous things or projects, write a to-do list. A to-do list can keep you on task and motivated to complete your goals. You’ll know each item that needs to get done and when it needs to be completed. Writing down tasks means that you stay on top of deadlines, don’t forget exams, and complete important tasks.^{[6]
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- You may wish to prioritize your to-do list by having the most important items at the top to complete first.
- If you get distracted, refer back to your to-do list to stay on task.
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Stick to a schedule. Perhaps you start a project, then get interrupted by something else and forget about the project. Assign your time into blocks and stick to the schedule to stay focused. Using a schedule can help you realize what you can accomplish in a certain amount of time and can ensure that high priority tasks are completed. Plan for unexpected tasks or situations by setting up some contingency time. Have a general plan for each week, then specify your schedule more succinctly for the next day.^{[7]
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- For example, if you have one hour between in-person appointments or classes, assign that time to certain tasks. Work on an assignment for 30 minutes, make phone calls for 15 minutes, then spend 15 minutes freely.
- You can also try breaking down your goals into small manageable tasks to help you make progress. For example, instead of making a goal to clean the kitchen, you might break that goal down into tasks, such as sweep the floor, load the dishwasher or hand wash the dishes, wipe down the counters, and take out the garbage.
- Look into digital tools that might help you to break down your goals and work towards them.^{[8]
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Schedule breaks. If you think that working six hours straight is the best way to maximize your productivity, don’t be surprised if you crash midway through or “veg out” with a distracting activity. Divide your time so that you spend some time working and some time resting away from work. For example, for every hour of work, take about a 20-minute break.^{[9]
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- Instead of letting distractions occur throughout the day, schedule in time to relax and check social media, watch funny videos, or do other mindless things.
- Your breaks should be something you enjoy. Switch up your activities such as taking a walk, checking social media, or getting a snack.
4
Put off the small things. Small interruptions can make a big impact, so it is best to avoid them altogether.^{[10]
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Research source} For example, if you respond to each email as it comes, engage in many conversations with coworkers throughout the day, and check your social media notifications each time you get an alert, you’ll likely waste lots of time throughout the day. Instead of doing each small thing one at a time, do them all at once.^{[11]
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- Do small tasks in a block of time, like 10 minutes, twice each day.
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Send emails all at once. Set aside time each day to devote to emails. Perhaps you do some emails in the morning and afternoon for 15 minutes at a time. Keep your email closed and notifications off. Then, spend some interrupted time reading and sending emails.^{[12]
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- Don’t feel bad if you don’t respond to emails immediately. Most emails are not urgent and can be responded to within a matter of hours.
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Track your daily activities.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Rahti Gorfien, PCC
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 17 December 2019.} If you can’t figure out where all your time goes throughout the day, consider tracking your activities one by one each day for an entire week. You might be surprised at how much time you waste or the number of distractions that occur. Once you track your activities, you can begin to notice patterns of when you tend to get distracted and how you distract yourself.^{[14]
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- Once you recognize your own patterns, you can begin to change your habits. For example, instead of spending 30 minutes on social media, you can take a 15-minute walk instead.
- Providing yourself with deadlines may also help if you find that you frequently get sidetracked during the day due to a perceived lack of a deadline. For example, you could set a deadline for what day and time you want to have finished a project for school or work and sue this to help motivate you.
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Adjust your schedule. If you work better in a quiet environment, plan to get to work a bit early or stay a bit late. Maybe your office, dorm room, or library becomes noisy or crowded throughout the day, so start your work while the atmosphere is quiet. Without distractions from other people, sounds, or movements, you might find an hour or two of increased productivity.^{[15]
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- If you work better in the morning, get to work a bit earlier. If you work better at night, stay a little later to complete your work. Either way, distractions will lessen and you can get some quality work done.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Increasing Your Concentration

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Use headphones.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Rahti Gorfien, PCC
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 17 December 2019.} Lots of sounds can be distracting at work and grab your attention. If sounds keep you from staying focused, consider wearing headphones. You might listen to music to help you stay on task or use noise canceling headphones. If you choose to listen to music, don’t play songs you want to sing along to or that pull your attention away from your tasks. Instead, stick to instrumental music without lyrics.^{[17]
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- If you listen to music at work, don’t plug your headphones in all day. You might be perceived as rude or miss some important interactions.
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Give up multitasking. Some people feel more accomplished when they work on several tasks at once. However, multitasking can decrease your productivity. Stopping and starting tasks can take away time and energy that could better be spent focused on one task. When completing tasks, do one at a time and don’t start another one until the first is completed.^{[18]
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- If you feel like you want to start another task, take a break instead.
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Cope with feelings of anxiety. If you use distractions as a way to avoid something, you might have symptoms of anxiety. Maybe you have a big deadline coming up and instead of working toward it, you avoid the stress by distracting yourself. Think of your solutions and how to remain productive despite feeling anxious.^{[19]
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- Use calm breathing to help yourself feel more in control and less anxious.
- If you feel anxious or nervous about something, talk back to your fears rationally. Ask yourself, “Can I complete this in the time I have? Am I blowing this out of proportion?”
- Keep in mind that resisting the task will make it much harder to do than if you engage with it. Try to immerse yourself in the task and you will finish it much faster and with less of a struggle.

Expert Q&A

Question

What can I do to get rid of distractions?

Rahti Gorfien, PCC
Life Coach
Rahti Gorfien is a Life Coach and the Founder of Creative Calling Coaching, LLC. She specializes in working with artists, entrepreneurs, and college students in creative fields. Rahti is accredited as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) by the International Coach Federation, an ACCG Accredited ADHD Coach by the ADD Coach Academy, and a Career Specialty Services Provider (CSS). In addition, she has personal experience in the fields she coaches - she is an alumnus of the New York University Graduate Acting program and has been a working theater artist for over 30 years. She was voted one of the 15 Best Life Coaches in New York City by Expertise in 2018.

Rahti Gorfien, PCC

Life Coach

Expert Answer

Try listening to music so you can play music that helps you focus. If you find that you're still getting distracted, track what you do every hour so you can see where you're losing efficiency.