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Picture this: You’re at work, chasing after a deadline and an alert goes off “you’ve got mail!” Or it could be that your mind starts to wander – about unpaid bills, what to cook for dinner and that you don’t have any decent clothes left to wear but you just don’t have time to do your laundry and, to make matter worse, you become so sleepy and not even a cup of joe can snap you out of your stupor. You think you can still make it to the deadline? Not a chance.
Every single day we are bombarded by stuff that demands our attention at work and even at home which can derail a project. So, I have come up with a list on top concentration killers in order for you to identify factors that disrupt your concentration (without you even knowing it) and what to do about them.
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Email Burden
Every time we hear the “You’ve got mail” alert we suddenly get the itch to check what the email is and then boom, our concentration is disrupted and the “deal breaker” for your project is lost between those three words. Once we hear the nagging alert, it seems like an involuntary impulse to rush and respond to it. However, according to Palladino, you should draw the line and don’t let technology manipulate you! The best way to avoid being disrupted by emails is to close the program – that means, no outlook express, gmail, yahoomail, Facebook and even Twitter. Your email can wait until the end of the day, but your deadline can’t. Set specific times as to when to check emails. Every hour or two would be feasible.
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Cellphone Use
Just like the email, every time we hear our cellphones beep or ring, we instantly reach for it and see who is texting or calling us. If it’s an emergency, then it is understandable. But if it’s a call from a disgruntled ex, or your new significant other calling to remind about the dinner party which you’re supposed to attend tonight or you swapping back and forth text messages with your long lost best friend, then that could pose as a problem. The best way to avoid this dilemma is to put your cellphone on silent mode or keep it inside your desk, allocate a time to check your mobile between breaks and reply to messages that are important (i.e. business related), not the ones that are trivial or can disrupt your concentration.
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Multitasking
If you’re a multitasker – bravo, that means your brain is in hyper-mode and you can perform at least two or three things all at the same time. However, there’s a drawback to this, and that is we lose essential time in between tasks. According to Lucy Jo Palladino, PhD, who authored a book on defeating distraction, it will take you longer to accomplish a task when you’re multitasking than doing one task at a time. What you can do about this dilemma is to prioritize your work and be choosy on what chores you want to accomplish if you want to multitask. For example, you can answer your phone, reply to an email and even do your laundry all at once, but don’t do it when you’re writing a thesis for your doctorate or editing an important report. The Navy SEALS master that piece of advice in the saying “One Evolution at a Time” and that’s the reason why their reputation exceeds their performance.
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Boredom
A boorish task can definitely cause your concentration to wander and can make you more susceptible to distractions. Gordon Logan, PhD says that when a human being is bored, everything seems to be more interesting to do than the task at hand. To avoid this, Logan suggests that you give yourself a break, by drinking a cup of coffee, eating or you can take a 5-minute walk, in order for you to recharge your batteries and brain cells.
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Stress
Stress can cause a lot of problems and disruption in our lives. Every single day we are bombarded by this condition, it may be work related or personal but nevertheless it’s a buzz kill for you and your tasks. One way to relieve stress is to talk to someone about the issues that are bothering you. Talking is cathartic, sharing your problems with another human being will make you realize that you’re not the only who is suffering from the same dilemma. Talking is the number one stress reliever. It’ll make you feel relaxed and calm and if you’re at peace, then you can devout your time and energy to any task that you’re doing thereby getting positive results.
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Nagging Thoughts
This is somewhat synonymous to stress. When you’re bothered about certain stuff, like if you don’t have enough money saved to combat the effects of recession, or repeating a certain conversation in your head that didn’t end well or simply wondering if you took your medications this morning, these are other ways that kill your concentration. Yes, it’s hard to avoid and compete with these nagging thoughts while keeping your focus because these distractions have some sort of Jedi mind tricks on us and only a few talented people have the ability to “kill the mechanism” hence maintaining their focus in more important matters. The best way to combat nagging thoughts is through meditation. Meditating can help you learn how to manage thoughts that are distracting and how to re-orient yourself to your task. Once distracting thoughts manifest, try to breath and focus on the sensations. If you want to master the art of Meditation to combat against distraction then you can enroll in an 8-week course at your nearest wellness center or you can go online and search for self-taught meditation techniques.
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Fatigue
Fatigue is caused by the loss or the lack of sleep and feeling drowsy disrupts our attention because our brain cells are not fired enough to take on another activity, it just wants to take some well deserved Z’s. So if you want to accomplish your work perfectly and ahead of time, make sure that you have had ample amounts of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is at least 7 to 9 hours. You can also take a power nap during your breaks for 10 to 15 minutes to give your brain cells a fighting chance against drowsiness.
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Hunger
Our body needs proper nourishment to function well and hunger makes it difficult for you to maintain your focus. If you’re hungry your decision-making ability is reduced, anxiety kicks in coupled with slight cognitive impairment and some psychiatric issues. It also reduces the level of oxygen which is needed by your brain to function fully. To avoid losing concentration due to hunger, start your day with a healthy breakfast, and don’t skip lunch either!
Sources
ihr.yuki-hime.com
jcl.com
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