And don't get distracted during. How to learn to concentrate and not get distracted
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The thinking of modern man has long been called “clip-based”. American psychiatrist Edward Hallowell introduced the concept of “situationally determined attention deficit” (SDAD) in 1994. Here are some of its symptoms:
- inability to concentrate on one thing,
- frequent switching from one task to another,
- fear of missing out on something important, sometimes reaching the point of panic,
- a growing tendency to avoid all thinking and impulsive decision-making,
- feeling of wasted time at the end of the working day.
ADD differs from the well-known attention deficit disorder (ADD) in that it is not genetically determined, but is acquired by us under improper working conditions and can be completely eliminated on vacation or on weekends. What do you need to change in your life to become more focused and achieve more at work? In his new book "Don't distract me" Edward Hallowell gives some practical advice.
Unload your brain
In order to learn to concentrate on current problems, you first need to unload your 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 you will do and when. 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 turn into a shapeless piece of flesh. It’s the same with our thoughts and goals: if they don’t have a precise structure, it becomes unbearable for us. That is why you need to start a diary and plan everything. When we schedule and prioritize our tasks, we feel like we have control over our lives. Do you know what is the easiest way to create a structure? Do the cleaning. You are guaranteed to find it easier to concentrate on your tasks if your surroundings are clean and tidy.
Learn to say no
For those who do not know how or are afraid to refuse people, it is important to understand: with your decisive “no” you are actually doing a good deed for the applicant. After all, if we help a person only because we are unable to refuse, then this help is unlikely to be 100% high quality. If a colleague wants to assign another extracurricular work to you, just tell him: “I’ll 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.” the work is quite high quality and fast.”
Get rid of electronic slavery
Set aside time in your daily routine that you will spend away from electronic devices, and let your colleagues know what hours you will be unavailable. Call more often, rather than write to people you promised to contact: live communication gives more emotions. Make a list of not very big things that you just can’t get around to. For example, call an old friend, open a book that you bought 7 months ago, or get to the top shelf of the closet and take it apart. Look at this list (not your phone) whenever you have a free 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 do things best when we do them in our own way. 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 your thoughts starting to get confused, stop and give yourself a break. Get up, walk, drink a glass of water, stretch. Sometimes 60 seconds may be enough to rest.
- Take on something difficult. People concentrate as much as possible when accepting a challenge when the task is familiar, but forces them to strain 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.
- Save your time. One of the truest rules of modern life is: if you cannot manage your time correctly, it will be taken away from you. Guard your time jealously. Do not give it to anyone, and do not allow anyone to dispose of it unless absolutely necessary.
- Close your eyes. If you feel unfocused, sit back and close your eyes. This simple action, surprisingly, allows you to restore clarity of vision.
- Draw a picture. Visual images free the mind. Draw a diagram, make a table, cover the page with whimsical zigzags, write some short phrases or draw arrows on it. It is best to use colored pencils or felt-tip pens for this. It is possible that you will soon imagine exactly what you were looking for in a state of heightened concentration.
- Talk to yourself. If you suddenly lost the thread of thought and are confused, try to think out loud about the subject you are studying. Loud speech engages new areas of the brain in thinking that are not involved in silent reasoning. Your voice will clear the fog.
- Do what helps you. Don't think about the strategies that are commonly used. Some people work well with music or in a noisy environment. Some people concentrate better when they walk or even run. Some people think better early in the morning, while others think better late at night. Some prefer to meditate in the cold, while others prefer to meditate in a Finnish sauna. Some people think well on an empty stomach, others - while eating. There is no right way - there are ways that are best for you.
For more tips on how to stay mindful, stay focused, and achieve more, read the book "Don't distract me!".
Edward M. Hallowell is a psychiatrist, a world-renowned expert on ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and the author of several New York Times bestsellers. A graduate of Harvard College and Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans. Founder of The Hallowell Center for mental and emotional health. He worked at Harvard Medical School from 1983 to 2004, giving lectures around the world on attention deficit disorder and the modern rhythm of life. Since the release of his book Don't Distract Me! (“Driven to Distraction”) sold more than a million copies in 1994.
The quality of work of any specialist depends heavily on attention. Dozens of ideas remain elusive and unrealized simply because a person did not focus on them and was constantly distracted. Think about how often you complete a task, immersing yourself in it 100%, without wasting energy on extraneous matters.
Let's say you are writing or reading something. Your smartphone notifies you every minute about messages, likes, and comments. This is a real Pandora's box, which makes you waste a lot of time on empty actions and useless surfing the Internet.
In the digital age, the only radical way to regain your own freedom and focus is to go offline and be offline against your desires. This is not easy to do, especially if you work or study using the Internet. But there are certain tools that will help you stop being distracted and reduce the number of “irritating” factors.
1. Turn off notifications
Stop the dissonance of notifications about new spam emails, new tags in photos and likes on Instagram. Leave only important notifications - messages in the work messenger and calls.
Check the rest in your free time when you complete the task. To change the settings, rummage through your laptop and smartphone, look at the settings for social networks and email accounts. Life will become quieter, calmer and more measured.
Check from time to time only those groups, channels and dialogues that are important to your family and professional life.
2. Unsubscribe from mailing lists
It's simple and important. Email often tries to sell people something they don't need. You receive endless emails from stores like Lamoda and Wildberries, where you have purchased one or more times. Emails pop up and distract. You waste time closing the notification and looking at the incoming message.
3. Buy a clock and an alarm clock
You already understand that a smartphone is evil. According to statistics, Russians devote about a third of their free time to Internet communication on their phones. In Britain, young people check the status of their gadget 85 times a day. In the USA and Australia 150 times.
A surefire way to reduce the number of moments you spend with your phone in your hands is to limit its capabilities. To do this, buy a simple watch and use it only to check the time. Set a real push-button or electronic alarm clock to wake up for work, but don't bring gadgets into the bedroom.
4. Uninstall apps
Radical method. Determine which apps on your smartphone or tablet are the most distracting. For example, you constantly think about Instagram. Remove it while working. Now you can check this social network only through a browser, where the functionality is severely limited. This method will definitely reduce the number of constant views of the feed. Once you complete the work task, install Instagram again.
5. Clean your desk
Is your monitor littered with files that are too “important” to be deleted? Get over yourself and structure everything unnecessary. You don't have to drag documents directly to the Trash. Move some of the data to cloud storage or a separate folder.
If your computer is filled with useless digital junk, try using apps like CCleaner. The program itself will analyze the contents of the device's memory and offer to get rid of a certain list of files whose absence you will not notice.
Turning on your computer without seeing all the clutter on your desktop is a great way to start your day and stop getting distracted.
6. Choose the right music for the job
Many people use headphones when they want to concentrate on computer work, especially if it's in a public place. But think about what exactly you are listening to. Modern music services, for example, Yandex.Music, offer excellent track lists for concentration. You can find compositions where white noise is combined with slow instrumental melodies.
7. Click carefully
Think carefully before clicking on a link or sharing news. Gossip pollutes the feed. If you read and share them, you also give them fame.
Much of the world's news makes us feel despair, disappointment and anger. Try to ignore them. The point is not about living in information isolation, but about the fact that a person does not always need to know all the details. Fewer stupid articles and videos in your daily routine is a good step towards stopping distractions.
8. Create a work and rest schedule
Many of us have calendars and planners that mark work meetings, organizational meetings, and other office life events. This helps not to be late, set goals and stay on top of things for the week or month.
But what about planning a vacation? Introduce into your routine things that are necessary for relaxation and calm: meditation, meeting with friends, breaks from work, reading, exercise.
If necessary, make a schedule for visiting social networks and news portals.
9. Save interesting things on the Internet
You really come across something worthwhile and useful on the Internet. It is imperative to consume the right information. But when you read constantly and spontaneously, even the most interesting things turn into a harmful distraction.
If you come across good material or receive a link to it from colleagues or friends, save it. There are special applications for this, for example, Pocket. It also allows you to return to articles at the point where you left off reading. Having such a program on your smartphone will help you have a useful source of information with you and stop being distracted while working.
10. Download a meditation app
The ability to meditate is one of the useful and powerful skills that will help you change your own life. These days there are a lot of programs that make meditation accessible, easy and understandable. In such services you can choose the duration of meditation and the topic. You can meditate for short periods of time while you are waiting for someone to meet or riding on public transport. These unique guides will help you not to be afraid of the exercises and understand their effectiveness.
Meditation apps:
Headspace: Guided Meditation (For iOS and for Android)
Meditation and Sounds by Verv (For iOS and for Android)
The ability to observe yourself through meditation is an opportunity to look at distractions differently and respond to them in new ways.
If you have an inquisitive mind, that's great, be proud of it. But it is also useful to recognize when you are distracted from something important.
Good concentration will help you cope more calmly under stressful conditions, work more productively and have more free time for your favorite hobbies and communication with loved ones.
Scientists are sounding the alarm: we have forgotten how to concentrate. Over the past decade, we have been subjected to a continuous all-out attack, the purpose of which is to snatch a particle of our attention. Sitting down and working quietly, without any distractions, became an almost impossible task.
American scientist and writer Cal Newport coined the term “deep work.” In his opinion . , deep work is an activity that requires absolute attention, which forces us to do the best we can and, in turn, develops our skills. The better we focus on the task at hand, the higher the quality of our work.
Why are we constantly distracted?
Full immersion involves focusing on complex tasks for an extended period of time.
But we have the Internet. And as soon as we come across a really difficult task that needs to be taken seriously, it is immediately tempting to switch to another tab and see if we missed anything interesting.
Despite the fact that we have had the Internet for quite a long time, we have not developed immunity to its distracting effects.
Social networks and applications use the same technique as slot machines - variable reinforcement. When we refresh our Twitter or Facebook feed or check our email for the hundredth time, we don’t know what we’ll get: interesting news, a bunch of nonsense, or nothing at all. But the unpredictability of the result forces us to refresh the page again and again. Gradually a habit develops and arises.
How to be less distracted
How to avoid distractions at home and on the street
- Remove social media apps from your phone. If necessary, you can access them through a mobile browser, but this is inconvenient, which means you will do it less often.
- Don't take your phone into the toilet. It's funny, but it saves a lot of time.
- Place your phone away from your bed. If you've already gone to bed, then sleep and don't check your email.
- Carry your phone not in your pocket, but in a bag or backpack. This will make it more difficult for you to get it.
How to avoid distractions at work
- If you are using the Chrome browser, install Timewarp. In it you can set up a time counter for selected sites and see how much time you spend on them.
- Switch your phone to Do Not Disturb mode and remove it from your desk.
- Open windows in full screen mode.
- Hide your browser's bookmarks bar.
- Close your email client and open it only at designated times.
- Listen to classical or contemporary instrumental music.
Apart from this, there are many useful Chrome extensions that you may find useful. For example, Inbox When Ready hides your inbox so you can write an email without being distracted by new mail. News Feed Eradicator hides your Facebook news feed and replaces it with a motivational quote. Or Forest, which grows a virtual tree while you work and mercilessly kills it if you visit blacklisted sites.
How to set yourself up for thoughtful work
- Make a work plan in advance. When the time comes to sit down and get to work on the task, it will be much easier for you to avoid distractions by following the points of the plan.
- Show interest in the task. It’s easier and more enjoyable to throw yourself into an interesting and important project than one that you don’t care about.
During the work on this material, not a single social network was opened. As a result, working on the article took a third less time than usual.
Are you constantly distracted by all sorts of nonsense, and then for a long time you cannot get into a working rhythm? Let's talk about how to quickly immerse yourself in the process so that nothing gets in the way, and most importantly, there is no desire to break away from the task.
Divide a large task into small ones
“Sometimes you procrastinate only because it is not clear how to approach a huge “mammoth.” When you cut it into pieces, it becomes clear how to “swallow” them. It’s great to have a tool like Wunderlist to divide a large task into small ones, quickly solve them, and check boxes,” advises Danil Brenner, architect of the web development department of the System Technologies Group of Companies.
Delegate the uninteresting
“It’s better not to do tasks that you don’t like in advance - otherwise very soon even the walls will seem interesting. If possible, it is better to immediately delegate such tasks to others,” recommends Anton Borzenko, CTO CourseBurg.
If there is no opportunity to delegate, think about how solving this problem could be useful for you. Or maybe it’s worth automating the solution or optimizing something from above in order to completely miss the task?
Try Pomodoro
The method helps you concentrate better, keep your mind “fresh” and not be distracted by external stimuli. Classic use of Pomodoro:
- Select a specific task.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on it the whole time.
- Take a break for 5 minutes. Return to point 1.
- Every four such iterations, take a break for 25 minutes.
Denis Vorotnikov, leading web programmer at Mercaux Inc. emphasizes the need to completely separate from the outside world:
- put on headphones, telling your colleagues to disturb you only on very important issues and preferably in a corporate chat
- disable notifications from email, instant messengers, social networks and similar distracting programs
- concentrate completely on the task at hand, without thinking about anything other than it
Difficulties arise when urgent tasks suddenly appear. “At the same time, you shouldn’t give in to panic and immediately give up solving the previous problem. Try to complete it first and only then move on to the next one,” advises Boris Shestakov, BSS practice expert at AT Consulting.
If the standard rhythm of the technique doesn’t suit you, don’t worry. The main thing is to adapt it so that it benefits you. “This technique helps me get into a working rhythm. When those 25 minutes are over, I most often continue to do the same task. But this kind of mental kick in the ass is a good thing,” shares Danil Brenner.
Switch context
Remove everything unnecessary. Probably, the simpler and more effective the advice, the more often it is ignored. But this platitude really works.
In addition, it is not difficult to protect yourself from irritants. For example, Windows 10 introduced many desktops that you can switch between. “I have an area where all the chats hang. And when I start writing code, I don’t look there. Switching context is very important,” says Danil Brenner.
Use the right soundtrack
If we are talking about music, then this is a controversial topic. Whether it will help or hinder depends on your mood, the noise around you, the level of complexity of the task, and personal preferences. “I tried a lot, settled on special music for coding - Music to code by. This is good music, relaxed, but it really costs money. The creator of this music says that he specifically analyzed what kind of beat should be so that you concentrate as much as possible. Sometimes, however, you want something more energetic, like The Offspring,” says Danil Brenner. To enhance concentration, it is also recommended to listen to music from video games.
But moderate noise is useful for immersion in the work process and solving creative problems. There's even an app called Noisli that can help you combine different sounds to create the perfect background for you.
The ability to concentrate is an important part of a successful person's arsenal. Having learned to concentrate, to concentrate on a particular goal, a certain type of activity, you have a very good chance of achieving success in this.
In this article we:
A) Let's discuss why the ability to concentrate is so important.
B) Let's figure out what factors prevent us from concentrating.
C) Let’s think about how to eliminate factors that interfere with concentration.
D) Finally, let's develop a general strategy that will help us learn to focus.
What is the role of the ability to concentrate?
(Perhaps you will immediately scream to yourself: what is the role?!!! And so it’s clear!!! Let’s get closer to the point!!! Have a little patience: let’s deal with everything in order. We want to learn how to concentrate, right? So, no need to get distracted, you need to read in order. Well, I’m finishing the long introduction.)
Physiological scientists have established that a person’s performance changes during work. The first ten to fifteen minutes is the so-called burn-in period, the next 20-30 minutes are optimal performance, and after some time exhaustion sets in.
What is the situation with performance and work efficiency during these periods?
Run-in: increases
Middle phase: highest
Exhaustion: Decreases
Taking this into account, you should work in periods of about an hour, so that, firstly, good development occurs, then you work hard and practice a little to fight mild fatigue. Then you need to pause, rest a little and start a new cycle.
I think there is no need to explain that by being distracted, we disrupt the natural course of this cycle. If we are distracted once every 15 minutes, we run the risk of never achieving maximum performance - and therefore not seeing decent results. What kind of effective work is this...
As you can see, a person purely physiologically (that is, if we consider him as a kind of “biorobot” :)))) must work with concentration, without distraction.
What about from a psychological point of view? It's not hard to guess. The business that captivates us, the business that captivates us, occupies all our thoughts (that is, the thing on which you are focused) is done much easier, the process of work itself gives you pleasure - it’s interesting to work!
So, perhaps the first commandment of a person who wants to succeed in one thing or another: productivity requires concentration on one subject!
What prevents us from focusing?
1. External factors that interfere with concentration
- noise, music
— neighbors and colleagues asking questions
- ICQ and phone
- something else that requires your attention, competes for attention with the thing that needs to be done.
2. Internal factors that interfere with concentration (ATTENTION!!!)
- general poor health
- lack of a clear activity plan
- unbalanced emotional state
- disinterest in work
The lists go on. By the way, if you really want to learn how to concentrate properly, I advise you to minimize the browser window, open a piece of Word or Notepad and write a small list under the heading “What prevents me from concentrating.” I emphasize that it doesn’t hinder you in general, but what prevents you from doing a specific thing, focusing on a specific job.
I got this list:
1. I have more interesting things to do (surf the Internet, play with a new toy). I don’t do this, but my thoughts keep coming back to me.
2. Work does not give me satisfaction.
3. I did it yesterday and it just makes me bored - the routine drags on.
However, I understand that it is necessary to do it. Here we are not discussing how to force yourself to do this or that thing (victory over laziness and gaining motivation is a topic for a separate discussion).
So, smoothly, we got to the main thing.
How do you still concentrate?
How can you learn not to get distracted, do your job effectively, focus on important things and not waste time?
Now I’ll try to be brief;))) Everything that is written above can be considered an introduction, here is the essence.
1. We provide ourselves with a good workplace. Ask your family and friends not to disturb you if you are working from home, and gently let your colleagues know that you don’t really like being interrupted. Explain to them that you yourself are distracted every hour and are ready to discuss with them anything they want. You can also casually explain to them why it is so important (for you and for them) to focus on work.
2. We work in periods of an hour, with a break of 10 minutes. This type of work organization best promotes concentration. It may be difficult at first not to be distracted for a whole hour - be patient, developing the ability to concentrate does not come so easily.
3. We provide ourselves with the necessary psychological attitude. You need to remove all internal factors that interfere with concentration. Feel like your work really matters to you. Focus on the results it brings (salary, job growth, position in society).
4. Always have a clear work plan: you must know how much, what and when you have to do. This will help you focus not just on the work, but on the result and you will strive for it, because after achieving the goal for the day (not necessarily for the day) you will receive a reward. You've done the job - feel free to go to ICQ! =)))
5. Start working as early as possible!!! Start your planned tasks in the morning or from the moment you arrive at work. Let there be no distracting activities between starting work and waking up. Don't allow yourself to check your email as soon as you sit down at your computer. Do not open ICQ or reader. The way you start your day will affect the rest of your day. Once you set a working, business-like tone, it will become much easier to concentrate (For me, this point turned out to be the most effective. Perhaps the fact is that it came from experience, and was not deduced logically. Therefore, I advise you not only to read and apply my or someone else’s then some advice, but also try to find your own methods by observing yourself and doing experiments).
6. Another secret from me personally, a continuation of the previous one. You need to focus on important matters not when you sit down at the table, but in bed. Think about your work, try to evoke positive emotions in yourself towards it. Tell yourself that you will do it with interest, with fervor, with passion. That you show creativity and a truly original approach that colleagues and clients will appreciate.
P.S. Please note that in this article we talked about how to learn to concentrate, what prevents you from concentrating on work, etc. - seems to be a narrow topic, a kind of life hack that fits into standard recommendations like “10 ways to unscrew a light bulb” (“10 tips on how to concentrate on work”))))), but in the end it turned out that this “narrow topic” is very closely associated with motivation, a healthy lifestyle (to focus you need to be in good health - see above), planning and time management.
Hence the main conclusion: if you want to be successful in general, and not just be able to screw in light bulbs well, then you need to constantly see such relationships and, while optimizing one area of your life, casually put things in order in the rest. And, of course, don’t rely only on someone else’s advice. Even on mine;))))) Think and experiment! And yes, also comment;)) If you have something to say about concentration and more, welcome to the comments!
May also come in handy.