The online space has formed a parallel universe where most of us spend huge amounts of time. While there are many advantages the online world offers, there are some very pertinent disadvantages as well. To begin with, we get distracted and lose focus when we spend excessive amounts of time online. This also leads to lower productivity as we tend to waste a lot of time online. If you want to focus on your work and minimise the online distractions, you need some level of discipline and willpower. Along with these, you can also implement some practical solutions and stay away from the apps and browsers while you complete your task at hand. What are these solutions? Let’s find out.
- Keep your phone in another room – The biggest online distractions reach you through your mobile phone. You have an urge to constantly check your phone to see what your friends are posting, to read random articles, to browse pictures, to play games, and so on. This proves to be very distracting and at times you cannot quite control yourself even when you wish to put the phone down and work. A good solution to this problem would be to keep your phone at a distance away from you when you sit down to work. Leave it in another room or deposit it in your office locker for some time while you finish an important task.
- Switch off the mobile alerts – If you cannot keep your phone away from you, then try this – switch off all the mobile alerts from all the apps installed on your phone. Your phone won’t beep or light up when someone messages or posts something or when you receive a reward in some game. Notifications are very distracting and you tend to keep your work aside to check the notifications in detail whenever they arrive. Switch them off and you will be able to focus on your work.
- Log out of your email – Your email is usually always open on your PC when you work. Here too, notifications keep flashing when you receive new emails and messages. This causes significant amounts of distractions. To be on the safe side, log out of your email temporarily when you work. Once you are done, log back in and catch up with the messages that came while you completed your task at hand.
- Switch off the wifi – If exercising willpower to stay away from the online world is challenging for you, you can try switching off the wifi when you sit down to work. You won’t get a scope to visit the internet and that will take care of the problem! However, this solution won’t work if you need the internet to finish your work as well, so exercise this option with caution.
- Set rewards for yourself – Self-motivation always works and so you need to motivate yourself by setting achievable rewards. Promise yourself a reward if you complete the task within a particular time frame. For instance, promise to get a foot massage in the evening if you finish designing two structures during the day. This will motivate you to stay focused and to stay away from the online distractions.
- Meditate – Take some time out to meditate on a daily basis. Meditating is extremely beneficial and helps you to increase your levels of focus and also betters your concentration. Try to meditate for some time in the morning, before you leave for work and you will be able to stay focused the whole day and fight off the distractions around.
Try these methods and you will be able to focus on your work better.
The bottom line
Distractions are present everywhere but you need to focus on your work and complete the work assigned to you. Not only will this help you reach your professional goals, but it will also make you more focused and determined in the long run. If, at times, you struggle to keep the online distractions away while you work, make use of the tips mentioned above. You will then find it easier to achieve your target within the timeframe you want and this will take you one step closer to success.
