WORK, INTERRUPTED
BY: NATASHA KONCZYNSKI, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT JGS INSURANCE
Work, Interrupted:
Minimizing Distractions
“ One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us.”
— Daniel Goleman.
What if I told you employees spend an average of eleven minutes on a project before being distracted? Every time we focus our attention, we are using a large amount of glucose and other metabolic resources. When distracted, it takes a person twenty-five minutes to return to the original task, by which time you have used up more glucose and your focusing abilities are even further diminished.
In addition to our minds working against us, we must deal with environmental distractions such as workplace socializing and readily available social media. A report by Gensler suggests that open-plan offices are a major cause of distraction, stating that“ workplace strategies that sacrifice individual focus in pursuit of collaboration will result in decreased effectiveness for both.” And although advantageous in some cases, social media can be detrimental to productivity regardless of your office layout. So it’ s not surprising that distractions eat an average of 2.1 hours a day.
SO THEN HOW CAN WE FOCUS?
Feed your mind. Eat foods that will increase your mental focus and give you the energy to stay productive for longer periods of time. Foods high in starch and lactose generate glucose when digested. Exercise or take a
walk before sitting down to do important or difficult work.
Get your work station organized. Too much stuff on your desk can be distracting. Put away objects you don’ t need for your current task. Arrange the things on your desk according to when you will need them. This will save you time when looking for things you need and help minimize the time your mind wonders at your desk.
Schedule your day. Work on projects that require the greatest amount of effort when there are fewer distractions at work. Consider coming in an hour early before everyone else arrives. Just like the human body has an optimal time to wake and to sleep, your circadian rhythm can help you plan your daily activities in order to get the most out of your day. Pay attention to your circadian rhythm and use it to your advantage when planning your day and prioritizing your workload.
Make it manageable. Break down big or difficult tasks into smaller and easier steps to kick start your engagement and focus. Use completion targets to challenge yourself. See how much you can get done by a certain time. Set mini goals and rewards for completing focused work sessions throughout the day.
Guide your focus. The left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex inhibits distractions; this acts as our brain’ s“ braking system.” Being mindful of when you start to lose focus can help you“ apply the brakes.” If your mind is swimming with ideas or things to remember, try a mind sweep to get them on paper and free up your thinking space to focus on the important task at hand.
Turn it off. If you’ re often tempted to check your phone or emails, turn it off, whether that’ s your cell phone, your computer or simply the notifications that alert you to something new. Alternatively, try scheduling in social media or email checking time. Allow a few minutes in the morning and after lunch to go through your emails or social media accounts, but no more. Once you have satisfied this task, you will be mentally free for other activities.
While it’ s impossible to avoid every distraction, we can reduce our exposure to things that pull our attention away from work. Knowing our weaknesses and implementing systems and devices to cut them off at the source is key. +
Natasha Konczynski joined the JGS family in 2016 to begin building her insurance career. As a young professional, she strives to learn and grow with each step of the way. Her goal is to provide transparency and peace of mind to all of our clients by utilizing proactive solutions.
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