Social Media Fix
Avoid logging in to social media sites while you’re working. If you feel compelled to check in every now and then, do it during breaks, when the steady stream of posts won’t interrupt your concentration. If you can’t resist logging in more frequently, take your laptop someplace where you won’t have Internet access for a few hours.
Culprit: Email Overload
There’s something about an email — it shoots into your inbox and itches to be answered immediately. Although many emails are work-related, they still count as distractions from your current project. You won’t make much progress if you constantly stop what you’re doing to reply to every message.
Email Overload Fix
Instead of checking email continuously, set aside specific times for that purpose. During the rest of the day, you can actually shut down your email program. This allows you to carve out blocks of time when you can work uninterrupted.
Culprit: Your Cell Phone
Perhaps even more disruptive than the ping of an email is the ringtone on your cell phone. It’s a sound few of us can ignore. But taking a call not only costs you the time you spend talking — it can also cut off your momentum on the task at hand.
Cell Phone Fix
Put caller ID to good use. If you suspect the call is not urgent, let it go to voicemail. If you’re working on a particularly intense project, consider silencing your phone so you’re not tempted to answer. Choose specific times to check voicemail. Listening to all your messages at once can be less disruptive than taking every call as it comes in.
Culprit: Multitasking
If you’ve mastered the art of multitasking, you probably feel you’re getting more done in less time. Think again, experts say. Research suggests you lose time whenever you shift your attention from one task to another. The end result is that doing three projects simultaneously usually takes longer than doing them one after the other.
Multitasking Fix
Whenever possible, devote your attention to one project at a time, particularly if you’re working on an intense or high-priority task. Save your multitasking skills for chores that are not urgent or demanding — it probably won’t hurt to tidy up your desk while talking on the phone.
Culprit: Boredom
Some of the tasks we have to do each day are more interesting than others. The boring ones may burn through your attention span in minutes, making you extremely vulnerable to distractions. Your phone, the Internet, even the prospect of dusting your workspace can seem tempting if you’re bored.
Boredom Fix
Make a deal with yourself: If you stay on task for a certain period of time, you earn a 10-minute break. Reward yourself with coffee, a favorite snack, or a walk outside. Boring tasks are easier to accomplish when you have something to look forward to. This is also one case where multitasking may work well. Listening to the radio while filing receipts could help you stay put long enough to finish the job.
