Is it hard for you to stay focused at work? You are not alone! For many of us it’s extremely difficult to stay focused for long periods of time. However, with a little help and some discipline staying on track while at work shouldn’t be too difficult. Keep reading to learn the 5 useful tips on how to avoid distractions at your job.
DO A TO-DO LIST
Start everyday by doing a to-do list of what you need to accomplish by the end of the day. Be honest and keep it realistic, writing more things than you can do in one day will stress you out and let you feeling you failed at the end of the day. You should put it in a place it’s always visible to you, it won’t work if it ends under a pile of papers and you never see it again during the rest of the day. Keep it where you can see it. Check off all the tasks you accomplish, every time you mark something DONE you’ll feel an addictive feeling of relief.
AVOID DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS
How much are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram affecting your productivity? How often do you check your cell phone? While social media apps keep us connected to our friends and family, they’ve become the number one distractors at work. Unless you use social media for your job, updating your status can wait for your breaks. If turning off your phone while you’re at work is a ludicrous idea, try to keep it in silent mode. Don’t put your phone on vibrate to avoid getting easily distracted every time you get a text or notification when your desk vibrates.
CIGARETTE BREAKS
Taking too many cigarette breaks can add up to a good chunk of your time spent out of the office. Every time you go out you have to walk to a designated area, smoke, probably chit chat with a fellow smoker, and come back to your job station and try to remember what you were doing before you left. Try to smoke only during your breaks to avoid distractions.
UNCLUTTER YOUR DESK
It’s too easy to lose your focus when a tornado goes through your office every day and you have to find your keyboard under all the stickies, office supplies, and snack wrappers it leaves behind on its path of destruction. Cleaning your workstation before or after work only takes a couple of minutes and it helps a lot. Use your trash can and don’t let visual distractions take over your concentration!
Stay Focused! You can do it!
Close your door, turn off your cellphone, clear up your desk and work! Get a sign that says “Unless there’s a zombie attack please don’t disturb”. Stop creating excuses and avoid distractions, and you’ll see you can accomplish more than you ever thought you could.
EXTRA TIP: Check out this list of apps that can help you stay focus!