How to stop being distracted: five saving ideas

The thinking of modern man has long been called «clip». American psychiatrist Edward Hallowell in 1994 introduced the concept of «situational attention deficit disorder» (SADV). Here are some of its symptoms:

• inability to focus on one thing,
• frequent switching from one thing to another,
• fear of missing something important, sometimes reaching panic,
• a growing tendency to avoid all thinking and impulsive decision-making,
• feeling of wasted time at the end of the working day.

From the well-known attention deficit disorder (ADD), ADHD differs in that it is not genetically determined, but is acquired by us under improper working conditions and is completely eliminated on vacation or on weekends. What do you need to change in your life to become more focused and do more at work? In his book Don’t Distract Me, psychiatrist Edward Hallowell gives some practical advice.

Unload your brain

In order to learn how to concentrate on current problems, you first need to unload the brain from many other tasks that we keep in our heads all at the same time. Among them, there can be both global tasks like “compile an annual report” and small ones, for example, “buy coffee beans for a coffee machine”, “make an appointment with a doctor”, “find a good tutor for a child”.

So, first of all, write down all your tasks on a piece of paper and clearly describe what and when you will do. You must completely free up the «working memory» of your brain in order to concentrate on the immediate goal.

Create a Structure

Imagine what would happen to our body if we didn’t have a skeleton? It would have turned into a shapeless piece of flesh. It is the same with our thoughts and goals: if they do not have a precise structure, it becomes unbearable for us.

When we schedule our tasks and set priorities, we get the feeling that we can control our lives. Do you know what is the easiest way to create a structure? Do the cleaning. You are guaranteed to be easier to focus on your tasks if there is cleanliness and order around you.

Learn to say «no»

For those who do not know how or are afraid to refuse people, it is important to understand that with your resolute “no” you are actually doing a good deed to the petitioner. After all, if we help a person only because of the inability to refuse, then this help is unlikely to be 100% of high quality.

If a colleague wants to put another extracurricular work on you, just tell him: “I will think about it” or: “I would gladly fulfill your request if I had time, but, unfortunately, the situation is such that I cannot do it. work is of high quality and quickly.

Get rid of electronic slavery

Set aside time in your daily routine that you will be away from electronic devices and let your co-workers know when you will be unavailable. Call rather than write to the people you promised to contact: live communication gives more emotions.

Make a list of not-so-big things that you can’t get your hands on. For example, call an old friend, open a book that you bought 7 months ago, or get to the top shelf of the cabinet and sort it out. Check this list (not your phone) whenever you have a spare minute.

Focus on the here and now

• Turn off all appliances and gadgets for the time you need to focus and think.
• Trust yourself. We are best at something when we do it the way we see fit. If you don’t know what you want, just listen to your intuition and your subconscious will most likely lead you in the right direction.
• Take a break. If you feel like your thoughts are starting to get confused, stop and give yourself a break. Get up, walk around, drink a glass of water, stretch. For rest, sometimes 60 seconds can be enough.
• Take on something difficult. People concentrate as much as possible, accepting a challenge when the matter is familiar, but it forces them to exert all their strength. Quite often, the impossible suddenly turns out to be quite real.
• Ask for help. Don’t take this as a sign of weakness. On the contrary, such a decision says that you still have enough strength not to get confused and try to find the right path.
• Take care of your time. One of the truest rules of modern life says: if you do not manage your time properly, it will be taken from you. Guard your time jealously. Do not give it to anyone, and do not let anyone dispose of it unless it is very necessary.
• Close your eyes. If you feel like you’ve lost focus, lean back in your chair and close your eyes. This simple action, surprisingly, allows you to restore clarity of vision.
• Draw a picture. Visual images free thinking. Draw a diagram, make a table, cover the page with whimsical zigzags, write down some short phrases on it or draw arrows. It is best to use colored pencils or felt-tip pens for this. It is possible that soon you will imagine exactly what you were looking for in a state of heightened concentration.
• Talk to yourself. If you suddenly missed the thread of thought and were confused, try to talk aloud about the subject you are working on. Loud speech involves in thinking new areas of the brain that are not involved in reasoning “to oneself”. Your voice will dispel the fog.
• Do what helps you. Do not think about the strategies that are commonly used. Some people work well with music or in a noisy environment. Some focus better when walking and even running. Some think better early in the morning, others late at night. Some prefer to meditate in the cold, while others in the Finnish sauna. Someone thinks well on an empty stomach, someone — while eating. There are no right ways — there are ways that are best for you.