A Subtle — and Powerful — Shift to Reframe Distraction

Lots of things get blamed for being a productivity killers, but the real culprit killing your productivity might be something that is both very much on your radar yet also something you hadn’t considered.

There is no shortage of contenders ready to offer distractions from your work: social media, news, weather fluctuations, other people’s needs, interruptions, the endless flow of information. Any of these can pull your attention in a number of directions.

Although these sources of distraction often get the blame, it’s important to remember this truth:

The source is not the cause.

In other words: social media, the news, other people’s needs, or whatever else is pulling your away may be the place you go when you’re distracted, they are not the cause of the distraction.

The Cause of Your Distraction

The cause of distraction is internal to you — whatever the thing that sends you to those sources.

The distraction is often some form of pain. Pain comes in many forms.

Here are 3 broad categories:

(1) Physical Pain: sensations in your body that makes it uncomfortable to sit and do your work, and hard to focus.

(2) Emotional Pain: undesired emotions such as fear, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, uncertainty, confusion, doubts.

(3) Existential or Spiritual Pain: disconnection from purpose, feeling unsupported, lacking confidence in your abilities or the project.

It’s no mystery why we succumb to distractions. Human beings are wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. When pain arises in any of its forms, it’s natural to seek relief in something that gives us pleasure. Even if it’s not “pleasure” per se, at least we find some comfort in its familiarity.

The Typical Way of Dealing With Distraction

Consider what you say when you find yourself down the rabbit hole of social media, reading the news, or whatever other forms of distraction appeal to you in the moment.

I noticed I usually say something like:

I got distracted by ….

Language is powerful.

This framing puts the blame on the source of the distraction. This approach generally leads us to try to solve the distraction “problem” by removing the source of the distraction.

For example: Take the apps off your phone. Turn off your internet to get things done.

How long does that solution last?

Usually not long, and here’s why: there’s always another way to distract.

The other problem with this language is that it makes you a victim — helpless in the face of the big distraction monsters that lurk around every corner.

You couldn’t help it; you got distracted.

A Subtle Reframe for Distraction

Distraction is not always the “problem” we make it out to be. In fact, there are times when distraction can actually be helpful to our work.

That said, if you want to solve a problem, you must address it at its cause.

That starts by changing the language we use to describe what happened to pull us off track.

Instead of saying “I got distracted by” I change the script to

I distracted with ….

Try this on. Speak it out loud.

Notice that this puts you in the drivers seat. You are still naming the source of the distraction, but you own the cause.

You claim responsibility, which means you had agency. You’re not a victim of the internet, social media, or the news. You chose to distract yourself.

And you can choose not to distract.

The small change in language is a subtle but powerful shift that is oddly empowering.

By calling yourself out, you empower yourself to take back control of where your attention goes.

And you open the door to engage with the inner pain that is leading you to distract.

That’s where the magic happens.