Social networks
Whether you live with Attention Deficit Disorder or you simply have trouble concentrating from time to time, today’s world is full of factors that impair concentration. Psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino offers some tips for managing distractions, starting with social media. Every time you check your social media, you remove your train of thought, forcing you to have to refocus when you resume work.
Avoid opening social networks while you work. If you still want to do it, do it during breaks, when the constant stream of posts doesn’t interrupt your concentration. If you can’t resist logging in more often, take your laptop somewhere where you won’t have internet access for a few hours.
Too many emails
An email arrives and the notification makes you eager to reply immediately. Although many emails are work-related, they still count as distractions from your current activity. You won’t make much progress if you constantly stop replying to all messages.
Instead of continually checking email, reserve specific times for that purpose. For the rest of the day, you can close your email program. This allows you to create blocks of time that you can work on without interruption.
Your cell phone
Perhaps even more overwhelming than an email notification is the ringtone on your cell phone. It is a sound that few of us can ignore. But taking a call not only costs you the time you spend talking, but it can also cut your momentum in the task you are developing.
Make good use of Caller ID. If you suspect that the call is not urgent, let it go to voicemail. If you are working on a particularly intense project, consider muting your phone so you don’t be tempted to answer. Choose specific times to check voicemail. Listening to all your messages at once can be less disruptive than taking each call as you receive it.
Source: WebMD
