How To Deal With Distractions To Stay Focused?

When we talk about distractions, the first thing that comes to our mind is a thing that prevents us from focussing and concentrating on something more important. Distractions are the disturbances and interferences that feed on our mind making us less productive and successful. So, before we start I would like to make it clear what kind of distractions I’m talking about. I’m talking about the distractions that are the complex ones that interfere in our life activities, work, decisions and achievements. Distractions are of two types (a) short term distractions and (b) long term distractions. Getting the urge to check your Facebook notifications at work is one example of short term distraction while feeling laid back and finding excuses especially when you want to succeed in your resolution of losing some weight but you can’t sacrifice your relationship with early morning sleep is an example of long term distraction. Now the question is how to deal with these distractions in order to stay focused in your life?

What’s the need to deal with distractions?

Distractions prevent people from reaching their goals and achieving success. In clear words, distractions prevent us from completing our tasks without making us feeling guilty. That’s because when a person wants to finish a task, his subconscious mind tries to distract him from his task on purpose which is called as psychology of self deception. In this solid self deception psychology, the distractions people face in their life are actually the solid plans made by their own subconscious minds in order to make them feel good about themselves. But once a person chooses to be brave and determined, his subconscious mind will never consider the escape plan and will easily be able to deal with distractions not because the problems will disappear but because they never existed at all.

How to deal with distractions?

Keep a to-do-list

One of the most useful and practical method to keep a  track on your plans and tasks to maintain your focus is keeping a to-do-list which comprises of all pending and current tasks you are working, assigned and planning to get things done easily. No matter how honestly and mindfully you work, sometimes you get overloaded and surprise visits by new responsibilities and issues would surface in your mind from various internal or external sources that easily distract you from your goal. Hence keeping a track on your tasks can be super helpful to stay focused.

Forget what people think

A very deadly distraction that I have ever encountered is the random thoughts regarding what other people think about us. To deal with this bullshit interference, do your work mindfully without giving any shit what others think. Your value can never be measured by others’ fake appreciation and negative criticism. We are not here to impress anyone on the course towards our success journey. Your value and efforts are recognised by your excellence, dedication and hardwork. Keep doing your work, and let others do their.

Practice meditation

As I have already discussed about psychology of self deception, everything is in our mind. Some people get easily distracted from their goals due to fear of failure and limited resources and skills. Hence their mind, help them to skip that goal and feel no bad about it. But, practicing meditation can be super helpful to stay focused, determined and fearless to deal with those non-existing distractions.

Make your mind clutter free

Oh yes, you read it right. To stay focused you have to declutter your mind. For this, the first step is meditation that I have mentioned above. Decluttering your mind makes you feel relaxed and resolved towards your tasks and goals according to their respective priorities. You have to practice impulse control, find out the reasons why you need to achieve your goal, imagine the satisfaction after being successful in your task.

Prioritize your options and choices

To deal with your distractions one has to prioritize his options and choices regarding his current and future tasks. When you set your goals according to the first and second priorities it becomes easy for you to accomplish your tasks without getting affected by the distractions because you know why you need to finish those tasks and what are the consequences if they go unfinished.

Stay determined and positive

To fight our brain and mind that plays the theory ‘psychology of self deception’ you have to stay determined, brave and positive. Once you become sure about your goal and success, you naturally get filled with energy being fearless and your thoughts become more positive that keep distractions at bay.

Detach yourself from devices

Talking about the short term distractions, you can’t just keep these distractions away from you completely. Facebook notifications, text messages, calls, assignment calls, emails and colleagues office pings can be really irritating and distracting when you’re into something very important. But still thanks to technology, we can mute and switch off your devices for sometime till you get your things done. It becomes very essential to detach yourself from devices to stay focused unless it’s something urgent.

Groom up yourself

Well, you need to put little efforts in yourself to groom up little bit. In order to get rid of distractions related to your traits that make you compromise with your tasks and goals, you have to fix your weaknesses, re-evaluate the failures, utilize your strength and believe in your capabilities.

Go ahead with experiments

Experiments are never bad. When you’re distracted from your goal due to your fear of failure, it needs to be re-evaluated. You have to experiment on your ideas, efforts and skills to prove your root of distractions totally invalid. But never forget, experiments do come with failure often, but failures can be fixed with little more efforts.

Hold on to ‘The Reason’

‘The reason’ is why you need to reach your goal?, why you need to achieve your goal? Once you’re sure about your goal and stick to it, no distraction can prevent you from getting your task done or weaken your focus on it. The reason is very important that keeps you alert and determined in achieving your goal and dealing with distractions.