Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out
Coping with distractions in the workplace is not a new phenomenon. Conversations around the coffee machine or water cooler, meetings, seminars and colleagues dropping by your desk have been part and parcel of the work environment pretty much since the start of time. What’s different nowadays though is the sheer number of distractions. Whether it’s the ping of a Facebook notification on your phone, an instant message or the latest tweet popping up on your screen, let alone the constant stream of emails, there seem to be many more distractions to cope with than ever before. And so faced with such great potential for interruption and disruption, how do you stay focused on work tasks and activities? How do you find the time for ‘deep work’ as Georgetown professor and productivity expert Cal Newport calls those tasks that are mentally demanding and require concentration and focus? There’s no doubt that it’s an issue both for organizations wanting to get the best out of their employees and for individuals that want to get ahead in their careers. And the answer is simple. Tune in, turn on and drop out. And no, I’m not advocating the taking of mind altering, illegal substances to cope with the stresses of the modern workplace! Far from it. Carry on reading to discover some strategies that will help you achieve key tasks and deep work in your office.
Tune In
Now you may well be guilty of thinking that all distractions are bad news. The truth is that some distractions are actually good for us. Many a great business idea or innovation has been sparked off by a casual conversation with a colleague over the coffee machine. And brainstorming and bouncing ideas off colleagues is often an essential first step to writing that tricky email to a disgruntled customer. What’s more, some social interaction is essential to a healthy and productive workplace. We are, after all, social beings and good working relationships built on social foundations are the cornerstone of every workplace.
But, we need to be a bit more selective about the distractions we allow into our working lives and these may change depending on the task at hand. You need to ‘tune in’ to those distractions that are healthy and that will help you achieve what you need to do. So, if the required job is to develop an online marketing strategy then, of course, you will need to be tuned in to the relevant social media channels. And if your job depends on the latest stock markets returns, then yes, you must be tuned in to the NASDAQ updates.
It’s important to be accepting of the fact that distractions are an inevitable part of the working day. But try to minimize their impact by tuning in to the ones that will actually help you to be more productive, rather than those that will take you off task.
Turn On
Now that you’ve identified which distractions are actually helpful, the next step is to know when to turn them on. Some people find it helpful to actively ‘turn on’ first thing in the morning. And so check your social media channels and the latest news when you arrive at work. Catch up with colleagues socially over your morning coffee. Make yourself available for informal get togethers with colleagues and let it be known that it’s OK for workmates to drop by your desk for a quick catch up. Schedule those team meetings, project updates and one-to-one sessions all before lunchtime or for that matter, whatever time works best for you and you natural rhythms.
In this way, you’ll be taking full advantage of the positive benefits of being distracted while filtering out those that are not so beneficial. And you’ll also be giving yourself sufficient time and space to crack on with the next important step which is to ‘drop out’.
Drop Out
There will be times in the working day when you just have to get on with it. That’s the deep work that Cal Newport identified, where we have to really focus our attention and concentrate on the job at hand. And so it may well be necessary to ‘drop out’ altogether from the everyday distractions. Some people find it helpful to turn off all email, social media and instant messaging notifications and put the phone on silent. Others find it helpful to take themselves away from their desk to maybe a quiet space in the office, or perhaps working from home or the local coffee shop — whatever works for you. Alternatively, you could simply put up a do not disturb sign on your desk so that colleagues know not to approach you and you’re given the space to complete that deep work.
How To Maintain Your Concentration
And once all the distractions have been dealt with, how do you go about getting yourself in that concentrated work mode? Sometimes it’s not easy to get your mind focused, is it?
Many people fall back on the tried and tested methods such as mapping exercises or writing down lists of ideas. Or perhaps you’re one of those people that resorts to a double shot espresso to give yourself that needed boost of energy. However, be careful about over-doing the coffee. Caffeine and other stimulants may give you a short-term boost, but for sustained periods of concentrated work, they’re not the best choice and can even be counter-productive.
For many people taking a complete break with some fresh air and a short walk around the block helps to clear the mind. For others, a few minutes of meditation does the trick, while deep breathing exercises or a few yoga stretches help others to revive and re-energize.
It’s not rocket science, is it? The important thing is to have a range of strategies that you can deploy when you need to get in the right headspace.
Dealing With Distractions
Learning how to deal with those inevitable workplace distractions is now more important than ever. The temptations are many: Facebook, Twitter, emails, phone calls, meetings, instant messaging and informal discussions with colleagues. Sometimes, it’s a wonder any deep work gets completed at all! However, try tuning in, turning on and dropping out. It may just be the solution to help you cope with a workplace full of distractions.
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