Growth Zone #5 - The 3 Types of Distraction, Their Source and How to Avoid Them

✨ Worth the Time

3 types of distractions

Focus is essential for performing well, and distractions can easily break our concentration.

‍Did you know that it takes about 25 minutes to get back on track after a digital distraction? That’s why we need to learn how to avoid them and stay in the flow. Here are the three main types of distractions that can ruin our focus:

‍Digital distractions: These are the temptations of our devices, like checking our phones or emails when we should be working. They’re hard to resist because they give us a quick dopamine boost, but they also make us lose sight of our goals.
‍In-person distractions: These are the interruptions from other people, like a coworker who needs help or a family member who wants our attention. They’re tricky to handle because they involve social expectations and emotions. We need to set clear boundaries and communicate them politely to others.
Internal distractions: These are the thoughts in our own mind, like daydreaming or wandering. They’re the most difficult to overcome because they’re always with us. We tend to give in to them when we feel bored or uncomfortable with our work. This leads us to seek instant gratification instead of long-term satisfaction.

By recognizing these types of distractions, we can work on preventing them and being more present.

📚 If you want to learn more about distractions and how to deal with them, read the full article here.

💡 Weekly takeaways

Observe distractions and look for their source

We usually think of distractions as something negative, right?

They make us lose focus and feel scattered and not progressing. When we notice that we have been distracted, we often try to ignore it and go back to the main task.

But what if we paused for a few minutes to observe that distraction and become aware of it? We could reflect on its causes, where it comes from, whether it is internal or external, whether it depends on us or our environment…

Awareness can help us find the roots of these distractions so that we can decide what to do with them deliberately. For example, sometimes it’s okay to follow a distraction if what we need is a mental break from something that’s hard for us to handle.

Understanding our distractions allows us to be kinder to ourselves and learn how to manage them; they don’t always have to be a problem, many times they are simply signals for us to pay attention to something!

🚀 Quick win

3 ways to minimize distractions

Staying present in the moment can be challenging when constant distractions surround us.

This week I’m sharing with you not one, not two, but three awesome tips to help you tune out those distractions and get things done.

Let’s dive in!

Declutter your desktop

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the mess on your screen and desk?

Order, both physical and digital, positively impacts our ability to concentrate. Research shows that mess can interfere with your brain’s ability to process information and perform tasks efficiently.

The good news is that you can declutter your desktop in a few easy steps. Here’s what I do:

‍Clear the desktop: delete or move any files that you don’t need or use regularly.
‍Turn off desktop notifications: keep only the essential ones and turn off the rest.
‍Auto-hide the app dock: keeping app icons on your screen all the time can make you want to check notification badges constantly.
‍Change the background: consider using a muted, plain background instead of a distracting photo.

But don’t forget about your physical desk as well! A crowded workspace can also affect your performance and well-being. So make sure to keep it tidy and organized by following these steps:

‍Remove any unnecessary items: Only keep what you need for your current task on your desk. Put away anything else that may crowd your space or distract you.
‍Use organizers and storage solutions: You can use trays, bins, drawers, shelves, or baskets to store and sort your items. Label them clearly, so you can find what you need easily.

Decluttering your desktop may seem like a small thing, but it can make a big difference in how you work and feel.

Add a new user to your computer

If you use the same computer for work and leisure, you probably have experienced this: you are working on a task, you open Twitter for a quick update and find yourself scrolling for the next 20 minutes. Boom, all your focus is gone.

To prevent that from happening, I do something that really works for me: creating separate user accounts on my computer, one for work and the other for leisure.

‍By having different accounts, I eliminate the temptation to check my personal email or social media accounts while working or the other way around, checking my work email on my free time.

Plus, this approach helps me keep my work and personal documents separate, preventing any mix-ups.

Do not disturb, please

In-person distractions are harder to handle, as they don’t depend directly on you.

‍That’s why I have some simple but effective strategies that I use to signal when I need some quiet time, whether I'm working, taking care of my plants or just taking some time off. And I make sure to communicate them clearly to everyone around me.

Headphones on: as I explained in the previous newsletter, noise cancellation and music help me a lot when I want to concentrate. When someone sees me with them on, they know it's because I'm doing something that requires my full attention.
Closed door: although it may seem like a minor detail, whether the door is open or closed marks a significant physical boundary in my case! If the door is closed, it means that I need to avoid distractions as much as possible.

These two simple rules have helped me a lot to reduce physical distractions and improve my focus.

Growth Zone

#5. The 3 Types of Distraction, Their Source and How to Avoid Them