Three Tips for Battling Distractions
- jillian099
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
By Jillian Broaddus and Chuck Cusumano
What is the biggest “time-suck” in your daily routine?
If you’re like most of us, it’s the same device that simplifies our tasks, connects us to work, navigates us to and from the office, and more – our smartphones!
However, doom-scrolling (or distraction-scrolling) can often derail our to-do lists, and leave us playing catch-up when it comes to what we should be accomplishing. After all, the entire purpose of social media is to keep our attention and lead to addiction! Influencers and ad companies alike play on innate tendencies of the human brain to keep us scrolling, and a quick mental break from our tasks at hand can lead to a longer-than-normal sidebar in the blink of an eye.
However, there are ways you can take the initiative to avoid getting caught in the trap. Here are our top three tips to take control of your productivity:
Track it – As we mentioned, a quick “30-second” break can turn into 15+ minutes without us even realizing it. Smartphones have a handy feature to track screen time, although be warned: the results may be unsettling! However, knowing where you start is a good benchmark for improving/lessening your stats.
Prevent pop-ups – Perhaps you have the willpower to avoid actively starting the scrolling process, but you’re easily drawn in by a push notification. If this sounds like you, “do not disturb” is your friend. Don’t be afraid to enable this setting during working hours!
Look into apps/extensions – There are plenty of sources of help out there when it comes to limiting distractions. Look into browser extensions or third-party apps that can limit your screen time, block you from certain websites (even during certain hours) and more. Need a place to start? Check out this recommended resource!
There you have it! Of course, your time will never be 100% well-utilized, and we all deserve some breaks and rest mixed into our busy schedules. However, if you’re teetering toward the extreme end of the spectrum, we hope these tips help!
If you need further guidance on your productivity and efficiency, feel free to reach out to us at hello@thejoshuagroup.net!