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Avoid Digital Distractions at Work with These 5 Tips

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How Being Online Can Suck You In

Being online can suck you in. Whether it’s researching a report or scrolling Facebook, the user interactions we experience in the digital realm are deliberately designed to suck us in. Here’s how to avoid the distractions that can take you away from what you really should be watching online.

Digital Distractions and Five Ways to Avoid Them

In 2017 research came out showing we are distracted every 40-seconds or so when we’re online. Key to this statistic is the date. Web designers have had five additional years to hone their ability to snag your attention. There are many more distractions now and they all compete to keep you from being as productive as you’d like. What should you watch for if you’re online and trying hard to stay focused?

  1. Take breaks. It’s easy to look up and hours have passed as you’ve been scrolling YouTube videos. You can alleviate wasted time and that sense of panic knowing you’re behind by planning screen timeouts throughout the day. We know taking breaks allows us to focus in and grow more productive when we return to work. You should also take advantage of the time when you are most productive to maximize your output. Then, take short breaks to extend that productivity.
  2. Set “focus time” on your calendar. Place your devices, including IM on “do not disturb” during that time. Let your coworkers know that if you’re not responding during that time, it’s because you’re heads down in a project. Then, set a strict rule to work just on that one thing. With no IMs, texts, or emails to disturb you, how much more could you get done?
  3. Consider a time management technique called Pomodoro. The Pomodoro Technique begins with a daily task list. Then set your timer for 25-minutes. When the alarm rings, stand up and move around for 10-minutes or so. Get some water. Stretch. Then repeat. As you find your focus improving, you can lengthen the 25-minutes to -30, then -45, and so on. The idea is that each Pomodoro is like a sprint. You set a task and attach it to a timeframe. As you knock out a task it’s followed by a quick mental break. This will help you wean yourself off of cat videos, one Pomodoro at a time.
  4. Exercise, get more sleep, drink more water. Really. If you take care of your body and focus on that, it will sharpen your focus and help you stay away from digital distractions. Instead of sitting at your computer over lunch and surfing Twitter, try going outside for a walk to get away from your screens for a while. This will break your focus, and let your eyes and mind rest.
  5. Consider a music playlist to help you focus. The studies show there are six types of music you can add to your Spotify playlist to help you focus. They include:
    1. Classical, such as Beethoven or Mozart.
    2. Nature sounds, such as rain or the ocean.
    3. Cinema soundtracks with their grandiose riffs.
    4. Music with 50 to 80 beats per minute.
    5. Deep focus music, which is actually a playlist on Spotify

Contact ADD STAFF Today!

If you’re having trouble staying focused at work it may not be you at all. Perhaps it’s the job. Contact ADD STAFF to talk about the opportunities available. For a fresh start, call on us.

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