How to Eliminate Time Wasting Distractions

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Are you having trouble with productivity? Dealing with the distractions of social media notifications? With the fast-paced environment we live in, cracking down and staying focused can certainly be difficult. Work, school, relationships, and your mental health may be pulling you in all different directions, leaving you with little motivation to get your responsibilities done. However, there are always small changes you can make to improve your productivity and be more efficient. 

Here are some tips on how to be less distracted and more productive: 

• Have a clean workspace. Clutter will only distract you and be a temptation to put off your task at hand for longer. Organize your desk and make sure only the necessities are on it. This way, you’ll never get distracted looking for a lost item or feel stressed in a messy environment. 
• Set screen limits on your phone, tablet, laptop, and other devices. I use the app OFF TIME as well as turn off notifications on my phone with a Do Not Disturb setting. Once my work is done, I have the privilege of going on my devices, checking my notifications, and taking time to unwind. Until then, though, it’s time to work hard! 
• Use productive music or white noise for concentration. I love the app Noisli and this white noise maker. It’s pretty cool to be able to combine different sounds to make an ideal noise setting. 
• Use a to-do list to stay on track. There is a huge amount of to-do list resources out there designed specifically to help you organize and complete your daily tasks. My favorite are digital to-do lists—there’s something gratifying about the way Google Tasks lets me check something off my list and it automatically removes the item. However, if you find that physical to-do lists work better for you, try whiteboard calendars, agendas, or even post-it notes to keep track of your tasks.
• Place temptations like an electronic device or a hobby in another room. Seeing your phone in front of you will make it much harder to stop thinking about checking social media or texting a friend. Place it in another room or in a box so it is out of your sight and you can focus on your work and get rid of distractions!
• Try single tasking. Rather than attempting to multitask, put all of your brain power into one task and see how much quicker you complete it.
• If managing other people, have them schedule time with you on your calendar for check-ins via Calendly or Google Calendar. This will limit the amount of people walking into your office to chat when you have multiple things on your plate.
• Wear comfortable clothing. Scratchy or too tight of clothing can be distractions, making you pull at your clothes rather than staying focused.
• If you get into a negative headspace, take a moment, and breathe. Burnout and lack of motivation are very normal problems to have. Try to stay mindful and present to combat this. Some clients of mine find it helpful to use the app 3 Good Things to help them find the positive in their day. 
• Some clients have trouble with remembering to complete tasks at certain times and need reminders. I encourage them to use the app Alarmy to set phone reminders that require them to complete complex puzzles and tasks before the alarm ends. 
• Receive alerts for when you go over X amount of time with certain apps or websites. You’ll be surprised by how much time you spend on your devices. Nowadays, many social media apps like Instagram and TikTok have built-in timers in their settings that will alert you when you spend too much time on them. Let’s put an end to constant scrolling!
• Keep your devices turned over so you don’t see the screens, silence them, and turn off notification distractions on your smart watches while you’re at it. Again, it’s all about self control, and this will help ease temptations. 
• Some clients do well with using something to fidget with like a squishy ball like this or something like Calm Strips. Physically keeping your hands busy can help your mind focus better on the task at hand.

I hope these tips were helpful for you! If you have any suggestions, feel free to shoot them my way.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please reach out to me. To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact me or schedule your free 15 minute consultation.

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