The constant pings from notifications can be distracting and can induce anxiety. The technology was meant to make our lives convenient. But it’s backfiring now by stealing our focus and making us less productive instead.
Tech giants are using your psychology against you to hook you into using their products or services for the longest period at a stretch possible. They are competing against each other to keep you hooked the most.
For all the strategies they’re applying, it’s easy to get distracted from the work you need to do the most if you’re not determined enough.
Social media isn’t just making us unsocial; it’s making us less focused and productive. Some of us are wasting the better part of our days on social media.
The first thing we check right after waking up from sleep is our smartphone. Whereas it should’ve been what-gives-us-more-value-for-our-time.
Morning is the most productive time. We should reserve it for the most important task of the day — that we must do to become successful. But it’s rarely the case for most of us.
We’re hooked into our smartphone all the time. From the gazillion of apps to the websites, we have only so much time to spend in each of them. But how much value do we get for the time we invest in them? Almost zero.
Not having any clear goal
Goals are important to become successful. And success largely depends on how focused and productive you’re in your work.
It’s easy to lose focus and become less productive if you don’t have clear goals. When you don’t know your schedules for the day, you spend time aimlessly in things that destroy your focus and productivity.
Plan out your days. Following a strict schedule will make it easy to become more focused and productive.
Working in an environment that works against you
If your environment gets in your way while working, it’s working against you. And if your environment works against you, you’ll have a hard time focusing on your work and being productive.
You’ll rarely get a ready-made environment for working. You must prepare your environment to work in your favor. There’s no universal law to prepare your environment. It’ll depend on the work you do.
For me, as a writer, I need a quiet room. Otherwise, I won’t be productive and can’t focus on my writing. Natural sound is okay, though.
I need a chair that’s comfortable for prolonged sitting. And a clean table with only my laptop and smartphone on it. My smartphone should be in silent mode, though most of the notifications are already off.
So this is my ideal work environment as a writer. Your work environment may vary from mine depending on your personality and what you do. Change your environment to suit your work as it has the most effect on your focus and productivity.
You don’t block unwanted website or apps in Mobile and PC
Do not allow anything to disturb you.
Once upon a time I used to use 4–5 hours of social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. After realize i am destroying my career. I block all unwanted websites on my devices so I can focus more on tasks.
Keeping your phone nearby – Dings, pings and notifications will destroy focus in a heartbeat. OK fine, that’s a bit extreme, but the point stands. Gotta limit distractions.
Lack of routine – Having good routines and rituals can massively boost your productivity. Whereas failing to structure your day is like, well, how does that saying go? ‘He/she who fails to plan…’ etc.
Friends – No, we’re not suggesting you become a hermit. But there’s a reason people like Warren Buffet, is notorious for limiting social engagements to get stuff done.
Having too many goals – Monotask! When you focus on one thing at a time, your brain has the best opportunity to do what it does best – solve problems and get stuff done.
Crappy diet – Yeah, we love those doughnuts too but when it comes to focus, sugar just ain’t your friend. Insulin spikes and energy crashes aren’t a good recipe for concentration and productivity. Intermittent fasting and foods low on the glycaemic index on the other hand… well, you’ll be like those Duracell bunny ads when it comes to mental energy.
Procrastination – This comes down to managing your emotional triggers. You have a task that feels stressful or disorganised. This triggers feelings of overwhelm. So you go do something fun or distracting to escape the discomfort. And on the cycle continues. To break the cycle and build momentum start small. Work on your task for 5 minutes, then promise yourself a reward (not doughnuts).
Focusing for too long – Yep. Your brain needs solid breaks. Go for a walk, look at nature, and meditate, whatever. Time away from the task is proven to keep those mental energies high and your focus sharp.
Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.
Thank you ….Being always available for everyone
Most people are bad at saying no. We are always available for everyone who needs us.
Stop being so available for everyone. Of course, you should help people. But there has to be a limit to it.
If you see that someone is using you, steer clear of him. If you see someone can do something but is using you instead, you don’t have any obligation to help him either.
You’ve got only so much time in your life. And 24 hours in a day. That’s more than enough if you’re productive and focused on your work.
But if you spend your time, whenever whoever needs you, you can’t expect to be focused and productive. You’ll just waste your energy on things that don’t add any value to your life.
Staying in a bad relationship
Bad relationships are bad in their own rights. You won’t get anything out of a bad relationship. Ever.
You’d always be depressed and worried about a bad relationship. It’ll suck all your positive energy out of you.
You need a clear mind to focus on your work and to become productive. But a bad relationship will make your mind crowded and cloudy.
Doing everything simultaneously
You’re no Superman. None of us are. Irrespective of how you think your brain works, it can’t process more than one thing at a time.
You may think you’re more capable than you give yourself credit for. But you can’t give your best to any of them when you multitask.
When you switch between tasks, your brain has to do the same to process the tasks. When it switches between tasks, it loses energy that could’ve been employed into a single task.
You’re more focused when you do a single job at a time. When multitasking comes to the scene, your attention divides into multiple tasks. You can’t focus on any one task and become productive in either of them.
Overthinking everything
What would happen, what could happen, and what could have been are what destroy focus and make you less productive.
Sometimes we think too much that we spend all the time thinking, and no time working.
We postpone our works by overthinking the various outcomes our works may have. We waste our time thinking about what would people think and say.
If you want to be focused and productive on your work, stop overthinking everything. Overthinking never helps.
You can spend your time productively by being focused instead of overthinking everything.
Do you want to add a word or two?
You can never become successful without focus and productivity. Period.
Everything you want to achieve in life and whatever you want to become would never materialize if you don’t have focus and aren’t productive in your work.
Without focus and productivity, you can’t produce your best works. The earlier you can prevent the focus stealing and productivity destroying habits, the better your future will be.
At one time or another, you must get rid of the habit that destroys your focus and productivity to become successful. So why not now?
Consuming a poor diet
This will lead to a crash in energy levels, brain fog, and feelings of lethargy.
Trying to work at a cluttered desk or workspace
This could make your mind feel cluttered and increase stress levelsSitting down all-day
This can reduce your overall energy levels – try to stand up and stretch often.
Inadequate hydration
This can lead to a poorer mood, shorter attention span, and feeling tired or lacking energy.
Responding to unimportant notifications
This can cause huge disruptions and contribute to a lot of time wasted over the day.
Noisy and disruptive work environment
This can impede your ability to focus and concentrate – try noise-canceling headphones.
Poor posture
This can reduce your energy levels – make a conscious effort to sit up straight. To help improve focus and concentration try implementing a natural nootropic Focus.
Focus act as a vasodilator against the small arteries and veins in the brain meaning more blood is able to transport vital nutrients and oxygen to the brain to improve cognition and energy use.
Focus can help give you a natural energy boost without the crash, click the image below for a free sample!
Bad habits are our enemies because:
they hinder us from being the person we want to be.
Your comments….
You compare yourself to other people.
Stay in your lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.
When there’s something which will zap your productivity, then it is comparing your productivity amounts to someone else’s productivity levels. Just because somebody does something quicker than you does not necessarily indicate they’re more successful.
Besides, why be worried about somebody else if you can immediately control your actions! Switch your attention from outside to indoors and place productivity targets on your own. Simply compare your present productivity levels to previous ones and make alterations as required. It’s possible to become more effective: it is about knowing the way you work and understanding the most effective strategies to use your skills to do it.
You don’t have proper plan and to-do list
The way my most unproductive times are those I did not schedule or didn’t schedule nicely.
If you don’t program your days and weeks, you will just wander around. You sort of understand just what to do, so you’re going to have a kind of work seeker. You will need to secure your time for those most valuable tasks or it’ll fall prey to distractions along with other people’s agenda.
You always check your phone
Pay attention to your task not your phone.
Among the worst habits that lots of people talk about is using your smartphone at any time. The issue is that, once we do this, we are instantly responsive. Our thoughts, thoughts, and attention are instantly chased from the newest messages, mails and alarms that we have obtained, which compels us to consider that stuff rather than our objectives.
You don’t block unwanted website or apps in Mobile and PC
Do not allow anything to disturb you.
Once upon a time I used to use 4–5 hours of social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. After realizing I am destroying my career. I block all unwanted websites on my devices so I can focus more on tasks.
Keeping your phone nearby – Dings, pings and notifications will destroy focus in a heartbeat. OK fine, that’s a bit extreme, but the point stands. Gotta limit distractions.
Lack of routine – Having good routines and rituals can massively boost your productivity. Whereas failing to structure your day is like, well, how does that saying go? ‘He/she who fails to plan…’ etc.
Friends – No, we’re not suggesting you become a hermit. But there’s a reason people like Warren Buffet, is notorious for limiting social engagements to get stuff done.
Having too many goals – Monotask! When you focus on one thing at a time, your brain has the best opportunity to do what it does best – solve problems and get stuff done.
Crappy diet – Yeah, we love those doughnuts too but when it comes to focus, sugar just ain’t your friend. Insulin spikes and energy crashes aren’t a good recipe for concentration and productivity. Intermittent fasting and foods low on the glycaemic index on the other hand… well, you’ll be like those Duracell bunny ads when it comes to mental energy.
Procrastination – This comes down to managing your emotional triggers. You have a task that feels stressful or disorganised. This triggers feelings of overwhelm. So you go do something fun or distracting to escape the discomfort. And on the cycle continues. To break the cycle and build momentum start small. Work on your task for 5 minutes, then promise yourself a reward (not doughnuts).
Focusing for too long – Yep. Your brain needs solid breaks. Go for a walk, look at nature, and meditate, whatever. Time away from the task is proven to keep those mental energies high and your focus sharp.
Failing to enjoy the ride – Unexpected? This is actually a really underrated point. Taking time to pinpoint the fun in the journey you’re on or the goal you’re pursuing does wonders for helping you stay on task.
Having several casual relationships, they are just distractions, energy consuming and time draining.
Not following the ‘’first thing first’’ rules, Replace urgent or important tasks with the first thing first!
Not having control over your thoughts, your mind wander away a lot from important things. Mind-wandering k
Put that phone on mute
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