Friday, August 24, 2018

Uh, Crazy, Uh?!

How to conquer distraction and be more productive at home and work

Greek philosophers knew something about our modern life some 2,000 years ago: humans are very prone to distraction. Socrates and Aristotle debated the nature of akrasia (pronounced uh-crazy-uh), Greek for lacking control and acting against our better judgment.

This certainly applies to distraction. We know we shouldn’t let ourselves be distracted from the task at hand, so why do we do it? More importantly, what can we do about it? After all, today we have far more things to distract us than the ancient Greeks had.

Learning how to be less distracted, more productive, requires effort and practice. Because the thing that’s distracting us the most is not our smartphone or our coworker but something we have a high degree of control over: our brain. Here’s a look at distraction, how to manage it, and how to combat it to be more productive.

What Is Distraction?

“Distraction is not just the external triggers, like the pings, rings, and dings we all receive. It's anything that keeps you from doing what you planned to do.”

—firstround.com

23 Minutes

The average time it takes to get back to a task after being distracted, according to a University of California study.

Why It Matters

“After heart disease and cancer, the number three cause of death in the US is prescription mistakes. . . . A group of nurses at UCSF [Medical Center] decided to figure out what was happening. The source of the problem was an external trigger: when someone was dosing out prescription, they were interrupted an average of 10 times per dosing session. The solution was simple: wearing red plastic vests while they filled prescriptions to signal to other colleagues not to interrupt them. With that solution alone, they reduced prescription mistakes by 88%.”

—Nir Eyal, author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and the forthcoming Indistractable: How to Master the Skill of the Century

5 Causes of Self-Distraction

1. Fear – Avoiding a task that makes you afraid

2. Insecurity – Avoiding a task because you feel you are not good enough to do it competently

3. Boredom – Avoiding a task because you find it too easy

4. Control – Avoiding a task when you feel you cannot control the outcome

5. Fatigue – Avoiding a task because you are mentally worn out

5 Ways to Manage Distraction

1. Plan what you will do and when you will do it—if you don’t, others will.

Don’t worry about output but simply on scheduling focussed time to work on tasks.
Make it a weekly routine to reduce the amount of time you spend thinking about when you’re going to do things.
Estimate the time it will take to complete a task, keeping in mind that studies show people are terrible at estimating how long it will take them to do something.

2. Control external distractions.

Turn off notifications on your phone.
Use simple signs to let coworkers know you’re not available.

3. Control internal distractions.

“Surf the urge,” as psychologists say, by looking at the emotions that trigger your distractions, noting the sensations you’re feeling, and examining the negative feelings that are leading you away from your task.
Look for the bigger story. If you see a pattern of distraction, consider why this task may not be right for you and what you can do to change it.

4. Make pacts.

Lock yourself into a task for a given period of time.
Find a coworker to hold yourselves accountable by telling each other what you are going to get done.
Be compassionate with yourself to ease back into focus when you do become distracted.

5. Use your imagination to look at your task in different ways.

How can you add variability to the task?
Time yourself.
How can you make it fun?
How can you do it better?

3 Ways to Turn off Inner Chatter

1. Meditate. – Just as working out improves muscle strength, when you practice focussing attention, you improve your ability to focus even when you’re not meditating.

2. Get back to nature. – A walk in the park away from things that distract your brain will help it to switch off and recover its focus.

3. Get wrapped up in something you enjoy. – Becoming absorbed in a simple task that you really like turns off your inner chatter.

“It’s not the chatter of people around us that is the most powerful distractor, but rather the chatter of our own minds.”

—Daniel Goleman, author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence

4 Ways Distractions Can Be Good

1. Lessen negative experiences – When you’re hurting—physically or emotionally—distractions can help you cope with pain.

2. Provide a break – You have a limited ability to focus, and distractions can serve to clear your mind to help you better focus on your task.

3. Control urges – Research shows that playing video games and doing puzzles can reduce cravings for unhealthy foods and even drugs.

4. Take on challenges – The constantly escalating challenge of some games boosts confidence in your ability to solve problems and keeps you trying even when you fail.

Sources: firstround.com, University of California, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman, blog.bufferapp.com, nirandfar.com, fastcompany.com, bustle.com, advice.shinetext.com