Many of the strategies offered to tame distractions are really aimed at limiting interruptions or the accessibility of distraction objects.
Finding a quiet place to work and shutting off your phone will limit outside influences, but they won’t solve the distraction problem.
To effectively tame distraction, you must first get clear on when and how it arises, and in what contexts.
Here are 5 questions I use to explore distractions.
(1) During what types of tasks do tend to get most distracted?
What types of tasks are you doing when you get distracted?
Most people tend to get distracted more during certain types of tasks but not with others.
For example, perhaps you get distracted while reading or writing, but not when you’re working out or cooking dinner. Or maybe you’re the opposite. Notice any patterns in the types of tasks you are doing when distraction arises.
(2) When do you get distracted?
Do you tend to get more distracted at certain times of day? Or when you are more tired or hungry?
For example, if you find yourself distracted while writing, does it happen more in the morning or the afternoon?
You may need to experiment with doing a certain task at different times of day and under different conditions. Some key variables to test for:
- time of day
- hunger levels
- sleep
(3) Is the distraction a function of duration or clock time?
When distraction arises while you’re doing a certain type of task, is the distraction a function of how long you’ve been working or the time on the clock?
Sometimes, the distraction is a function of your brain getting tired after a certain amount of time. For many people, 45 minutes is a limit for cognitive work. This is what I call “duration distraction,” — you simply hit your limit.
Other times, the distraction comes in the form of an external clock or “inner clock” — the expectation that you must move on to something else because of the linear clock time.
I’ve found that many entrepreneurs who previously worked in corporate settings have this “inner clock” — really an expectation that they must check email and be responsive by a certain time.
Understanding whether your distraction is a function of brain limits or expectations about responsiveness matters a lot when choosing a strategy for taming distraction.
One requires a strategy for rest and recovery while the other requires shifting beliefs.
Keep in mind this isn’t an either/or. Your distraction could be a function of both linear time and duration.
(4) Do distractions tend to be more prominent in certain locations?
Despite the popularity of remote work, one of the challenges many people have when working from home is that they are more easily distracted at home than they are in the office.
Although many people assume quiet spaces are better for taming distraction, sometimes quiet spaces lead to more distraction.
I find I can maintain focus better when I’m in an environment with ambient sound and activity, like the gym. The energy I need for my brain to tune out the activity around me prevents me from getting caught up in my distracting thoughts.
(5) What are the distractions that arise for you?
What is the substance of your distractions?
Remember, distractions are thoughts, sensations, or emotions. You can’t work with them unless you can identify them.
Some of the big categories of intrusive thoughts include:
- “I should be doing something else right now.”
- concerns about the world/politics
- family/kid issues
- worry about the future
- rumination about the past
- relationship issues
- health issues
The main causes of non-thought distractions include benign physical sensations and more acute pain. These sensations then lead to thoughts.
The thoughts lead to emotions. And it’s the desire to escape those emotions that pulls us to distract ourselves with distraction objects, or simply to escape the work altogether.
Recognizing the source and content of the distractions can help you identify whether the emotion you’re feeling is related to the work itself or to something else that’s happening in your life.
Once you get clear on the nature and content of your distractions, you can choose an effective strategy to tame the distractions.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...