Workplaces are busy areas, with a significant number of distractions assailing the average worker every day. Between the draws of social media, the demands of the job, open office plans and noisy co-workers, getting focused on what really needs to get done is a task in itself.
And when focus is an issue, workers tend to be less productive and may prioritize tasks poorly, ending up with critical problems being shoved all the way to the bottom of their to-do list. To help, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council offer their best tips and tricks that can help employees find and maintain their focus, even when a storm of distractions surges around them.
1. Block Meetings With Yourself
It seems helpful to work within time units. Best one so far is a 30-minute chunk of undistracted work followed by a short break. Just set the alarm clock and focus on one task. If you want to be sure that nobody will interrupt you, block a meeting with yourself in a calendar. However, the best tool for time management is your willingness to guard your time and say "no" to distractions. - Inga Bielińska, Inga Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring
2. Create A Social Engagement Schedule
Distractions during work are the No. 1 complaint of people who go to the office every day. Co-workers often drop by for a five-minute chat that may cost you 30 minutes. You may check your email or social feeds periodically taking away more of your work time. To increase your productivity, create a social engagement schedule and share it with others. Managing your time is your business. - Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence
3. Add Mindfulness To Your Life
Adding mindfulness to your daily life can greatly impact your ability to focus no matter what the distraction. The good news is you can do this with mini mindfulness exercises in a short amount of time. Try deep breathing to a count of four on the inhales and four on the exhales and incrementally increasing your exhales to a count of eight, releasing tension or anything not serving you with each exhale. - Debbie Ince, Executive Talent Finders, Inc
4. Silence The Outside Noise
Enter deep work mode at the office by silencing the outside noise and removing unnecessary distractions. Put your smartphone on airplane mode or "do not disturb" so that you aren't getting distracted by personal emails and social media notifications. Consider wearing earplugs if possible, or putting on light music with headphones that will help calm you and shift your mind into focus. - Wendi Weiner, Esq., The Writing Guru®
5. Become Fully Engaged
When you establish a daily plan of action you love, you will be so focused and engaged, there will be no distractions. Get honest with yourself: Is your mind, heart, and gut fully vested in what you set out to accomplish? if so, you will naturally be so focused you won't notice what others are doing around you. No one can prevent you from giving full attention to what you set out to do except you. - Susan K. Wehrley, BIZremedies
6. Limit Smartphone Temptations
Every single distraction at work may not be the cellphone, but maybe we can stop calling it a “smartphone” because it has made our workforce a lot dumber. It's also the Pandora's box of distraction at work. You can regulate it yourself and save relationships and maybe your job. Let checking it be a reward during a break. Turn it off. Leave it in your car. Discipline the temptation, the usage. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
7. State Your Intention
One tip that I've shared with clients with open work environments to help increase their productivity is to give their employees small signs that they can display in the workspace that will help signal their intention to others. One example would be "Do Not Disturb - Deep in Thought," which gives them permission to be focused. Certain etiquette practices are needed in the workplace to set the tone. - Carolina Caro, Carolina Caro
8. Define Acceptable Behavior
Noise pollution is real. Having a corporate rule that all cellphones are on silent goes a long way to limiting distraction collectively. Our thoughts are interrupted by dings and rings. Our brain is rewarded with a dopamine rush when we get a text or a "like." Collaborate on a democratic way to define what’s OK and what’s not for your team. - Frances McIntosh, Intentional Coaching LLC
9. Focus On Groundedness
Open offices and social chatter are everywhere, and while we would love to spend hours hiding in a conference room with a "do not disturb" sign, that isn’t always possible. Find a picture that brings a feeling of groundedness and comfort. Place that photo on your desk so when you look at it for 60 seconds you can feel grounded and comfortable and are able to re-energize and focus. - Amber Wendover, Thinking People Consulting, LLC
10. Practice Extreme Monotasking
As an adult with ADHD, I know how distractions can hurt productivity. I’ve been in your shoes where cubicle noise is boisterous and piercing, so the best advice I can give...wait, what’s that, squirrel? Just kidding. Do your Pomodoro Technique of extreme monotasking in a private area or little huddle room somewhere else with earphones and Beethoven. Return to your desk after and join the fun! - Brian M Harman, Business Management Hallmark
11. Make The Most Of Peak Performance Time
Structuring the workday around your peak performance time can be beneficial in eliminating distractions. A fresh mind can more easily concentrate without effects from the office environment. If early morning is your optimal time, focus on the work that requires the most thought and creativity. Fill the rest of your day with tasks that are not affected by interruptions and background noise. - Deborah Hightower, Deborah Hightower, Inc.
12. Enter The Matrix
Don't allow distractions to keep you from completing your best work. Enter tasks in advance on an Eisenhower Matrix to be clear each day what your priorities are. Check it hourly. Focus on what's urgent and important first. Schedule the important, and keep those appointments with yourself. If possible, delegate less important tasks. Avoid at all costs that which is neither urgent nor important. - Christine Rose, Christine Rose Coaching & Consulting
13. Put Like-Minded Together
It can be helpful to put people who like noisy environments together and those who prefer it quiet together. Some people prefer the noise, and it helps them feel energized, while others do not. Recognizing this can be critical. It can also help to try earbuds and promote certain hours as quiet time. - Dr. Diane Hamilton, Tonerra
14. Focus On One Stimulus
Paying attention to one sight or sound in the environment isolates it from others. This focuses the mind, enabling us to become fully present. Looking at a light for a few moments or listening to a specific sound (rain outside the window, the hum of an air conditioner, birds chirping) can help us regain focus and mindfully go back to what we were working on before being distracted. - Tracey Grove, Pure Symmetry Coaching and Consulting
15. Work From Home
If you suffer from noisy co-workers who drain your attention and energy, inquire about the ability to work remotely at least one day a week. You can take this time to focus and recharge from the distractions of the office. You just need a place set aside for work at your home. If this is not an option, a good set of headphones can block out the noise. - Katrina Brittingham, VentureReady LLC
