Manage Your Distraction Syndrome With These 4 Tips

How distracted do you feel these days? Your ability to focus is sometimes compromised when you are dealing with too many things at a time. While telling yourself to focus may be something easy to do, it requires a lot from your end. 

Your ability to keep your mind focused is worth cultivating. Not only is it about your ability to complete tasks when needed, but it plays a crucial role in your future success or failure. 

But how do you make sure that you don’t lose concentration? When there are just too many thoughts inside your head, it can be quite hard to focus. Sometimes, it can be frustrating to know that you want to get things done, but you don’t. You end up procrastinating, thinking that nothing can be done now to get things done. 

It is best to draw yourself healthy boundaries to help you get focused and manage distractions. Resist the urge to procrastinate. Here are four tips to help you get it right.  

Check Yourself Before You Break Yourself

Distraction can come in many forms. Some of them are the most obvious, like television, social media, and even household chores. But distractions can be internal as well. Check up on yourself from time to time. 

Start looking within you. If you cannot seem to focus and your thoughts are all over the place, stop and take a moment to reflect. What is bothering you? What is going on inside your head? What is causing your anxiety? 

Your worries about your life, including your thoughts of the future, could be causing you to lose grip on reality. Take a moment to assess yourself. What is distracting you? Sometimes, we worry too much about others that we forget that a considerable part of our success depends on us. 

Get To The Bottom Of It

Asking yourself what’s wrong could lead to a lot of realizations. Sometimes we’re distracted because we need to deal with an uncomfortable emotion or situation. Perhaps it’s because we are scared of what others might say. 

But then, nobody else can help you but yourself. Once you have sorted that out, you will have a clearer mind to think things through. Then, you can look into the external factors that cause you to lose focus. Is it your set-up in the office? Is it an annoying coworker? Knowing what is causing you to lose focus can help identify the solution to the problem. 

For some, their focusing issue may be caused by an actual concentration disorder, such as ADHD or ADD. If you’re consistently unable to focus and it’s starting to affect your career or other relationships, speak to a licensed professional as soon as you can.

Plan Ahead

How prepared are you for the future? All leaders who have become successful in their own fields are those who planned ahead. They make sure that they have a list of things to do to achieve short term and long term goals. Everything that they do takes them a step closer to their dreams. 

When a task is given to you, instead of working on it immediately, stop and think for a moment. What will you learn out of it? Focus your thoughts on the end-goal and everything else that you learn in the process. After all, each task is designed to teach you a skill or two that you can use for the future. 

If it’s a more difficult task, then don’t be afraid to break it down to smaller tasks. Work within a timeline. Every minute that you spend planning on the things that need to be done saves you at least an hour in actually doing it. It keeps you from procrastinating too. 

Go On A Social Media Hiatus

How often do you check your Facebook account? Are you updated with everything that’s happening on Twitter? One of the most significant sources of distraction is social media. Though it helps to keep yourself updated with the latest news, sometimes being too involved online could have more negative effects than positive. 

People often tend to compare themselves to the stories of people they see online to the point that they get depressed whenever others post. If you really want to focus and keep yourself from getting depressed, take a social media hiatus. Limit your exposure to various websites. Only check your email once a day and make it quick. 

You’d be surprised at how much more you can do. 

Bonus Tip! Take A Break

How do you turn away from distractions and focus yourself on work? The truth is that every time you give in to distraction, it is one way of telling yourself that you need a break. So instead of giving in to distractions every time, stop and take a break. 

However, one of the keys to producing great work is taking effective breaks. Whenever you feel like checking on your Twitter again, take a break. Reassess yourself and refocus. Taking a twenty-minute break after working for three to four hours is better than taking a ten-minute break every hour. During these breaks, keep avoiding social media and your email. Instead, take a walk around the office, get a drink of water, or chat with a coworker. 

The long break could help you be more productive in the long run. 

The short break will also act as a reward for doing good at work. The break will not only clear your head so that you can focus, but it also helps you feel good about working.

Concentrations disorders have recently been identified, and it has helped a lot of people realize that the problem has gone deeper. It is no longer just about lacking self-discipline. It has become a problem innate to one’s personality. 

Whenever it feels like you lack focus or you easily give in to distractions, get yourself some help. External distractions may be easy to deal with, but the internal ones need as much attention too. Give yourself some space to determine the help you need to get things done. When you do find the technique that works for you, it will become easier to become more productive.