Today, technology is an integral part of nearly everyone’s daily lives, particularly at work. While technology undeniably enhances productivity, it can also bring myriad distractions that can make focusing challenging. Fortunately, there are simple ways to eliminate digital distractions from your workday. Here are some tips to get you started.
Silence Non-Essential Notifications
Email, social media, and other notifications typically catch your eye, bringing your focus away from the work task. Even if you’re only distracted for a second, it will take a few moments to recenter on your duties, harming your overall productivity.
Take the time to silence or turn off all non-essential notifications, particularly those associated with personal accounts. Make sure they aren’t just shut off on your computer but also on your smartphone, as both can be sources of distractions.
When you need to do detail-oriented heads-down work, turn off all notifications while handling that task. You can schedule break times every 20 to 30 minutes (or when you reach a logical pause point) to see if any emergency communications came through, making it easier to concentrate when needed.
Schedule Email and Messaging
Responding to emails or other work messages is often far more time-consuming than people realize. Plus, if you stop to respond every time a message comes in, email and other communication platforms ultimately become a source of distraction instead of boosting efficiency.
One way to ensure that keeping up with communications isn’t disruptive is to schedule time in your calendar specifically for those tasks. For example, you can block out 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes near lunch, and 20 minutes at the end of the day to review messages and reply as needed. That ensures you remain on top of what’s being shared without overtaking your day.
Use Website and App Blockers
Website and app blockers allow you to block sites or applications that may distract you during the day. When the blocker runs, your computer or smartphone won’t allow you to access the apps or websites you list. Essentially, it’s a way to ensure you don’t succumb to temptation, making it easier to focus on your work.
The benefit of website and app blockers is that most can include a schedule. As a result, you can eliminate temptation when needed without blocking you from using those apps or sites indefinitely.
Eliminate Redundant Solutions
It’s not uncommon for professionals to have several tools that offer similar functionality. For example, collaboration, project management, and email applications usually all contain a communications component if you’re connecting with others on all three, which makes managing communications unnecessarily challenging.
Instead of using similar functionality across several systems, find a way to limit what activities occur where. For example, by centralizing internal communications on one platform, there’s no need to check several for messages during the day. As a result, connecting with colleagues is far more efficient.
Ultimately, the tips above can help you eliminate digital distractions during the workday. Premier Staffing Inc. wants to hear from you if you’d like to learn more or seek new job opportunities. Contact us today.