Staying focused in the digital age we live in
Finding it difficult to stay focused? Its not our phone's fault!
The digital age has done a number on our focus.
Even the most motivated of people can get instantly distracted when they see that little notification come up on either Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Even when another text or email has come up for their phone.
This can make it difficult to stay focus and get anything done. And with more and more technology coming in all the time, it is just going to get worse.
The Distraction Of Our Phone
Our biggest distractions are frequently our phones.
They no longer serve solely as a means of making calls.
They give us calls, texts, emails, social media alerts, and all four together.
It is understandable why they would offer us endless pleasure and diversions that would make finishing our work nearly impossible.
With our phones going off all the time, staying focused will be hard.
When we hear the ding or the vibration that alerts us that a text or an email or some other alert has occurred on our phones, we instantly want to pay attention.
Even when we admit that the information is probably not that important and can wait, our focus has shifted and it will bother us until we check.
This takes time away from work and can make it hard to get back on task, especially if this happens many times.
Our phones are one of the worst distractions while trying to get things done, despite the fact that they may be a really valuable tool.
The first thing to work on is putting your phone away if you’re serious about improving your ability to concentrate.
To stay focused and avoid all these distractions, you might need to leave your phone with someone else or turn it off.
Digital Minimalism
When you are trying to get work done, a good tip is that you will need to become a digital minimalist.
This basically means that if the technology is not needed to get the work done, then it has to go.
If you can do all the work without any technology, then turn it all off.
Who needs it!? Not me, not you. I’d rather focus what is at hand.
Your goal is to see how much of the technology you can turn off or take out of the room and see how quickly your focus comes back into play.
Maybe you need to work on a report for a project. Doing research and finding out what is valuable information or not.
Spend half an hour or so online looking up information that you need, printing off the emails with relevant information, and gathering all the facts you need.
After that half an hour, print everything off and then turn off the internet. If you are able to write out the report, then turn off the whole computer.
If you need to type it up, go and physically turn off the Wi-Fi while you do your work.
This is crucial. Do not assume that just because you are using a computer, you can avoid checking social media, email, and other online activities.
Some folks may be able to accomplish this without turning off everything else.
Others might be inclined to continually inspect things.
Word or other similar software that doesn’t require a plug-in is the only thing you may use when the Wi-Fi is unplugged.
Remember to switch off all of the other digital devices in your workspace.
Switch off your speakers, phone, and anything else that could connect you to the outside world or the internet before leaving your office.
That can wait; you don’t have time for it right now.
You are free from distractions now that everything has been shut off.
You can compose your report and complete other tasks using the research you found previously.
If you have a question or something you need to double check, do not turn the internet back on or reach or your phone.
Make a little note on a post-it and look at it when all the work is done.
You will be amazed at how quickly a report can get done when you focus all your attention on that rather than on every distraction that goes on around you.
Your approach to digital minimalism will vary a little bit depending on various factors.
To complete the job, if you are an expert in social media, you most likely need to be logged into Facebook or a comparable platform.
However, you can disable your phone and email during that time and make sure that you only use work-related social media.
Consider how many digital devices you can turn off before you start each project, and then observe the effects.