How to Eliminate Distractions and Stay Focused

Distractions are a common challenge that can significantly impact our productivity and focus. In this blog post, you’ll learn about the nature of distractions, their various sources, and effective strategies for managing them.

By understanding what draws your attention and learning how to mitigate these interruptions, you can create a more focused and efficient work environment, ultimately helping you finish your projects and achieve your goals.

What are Distractions?

Distractions are anything that can divert us from our intentions. They often lure us away from our goals because, in the moment, they seem more appealing than the tasks we should be focusing on.

When our brain encounters even the slightest resistance to a task, it seeks out more attractive alternatives. The brain is not designed for knowledge work; it is wired for survival and reproduction. If you allow your mind to wander for a few seconds, you’ll find that it will be drawn to more appealing (and usually less important) objects of attention than what you should be focusing on.

Distractions can take many forms, from the constant ping of notifications on our devices to the lure of social media or even daydreaming. These interruptions can significantly impact our productivity and focus, making it difficult to achieve our goals.

Sources of Distraction

Distractions can come from two main sources: ourselves and others. Internal distractions include worrying about the past or future and daydreaming, while external distractions include questions from colleagues, phone calls, notifications, stimuli in your environment, etc.

On average, it takes about twenty-two minutes to get back on track after being distracted or interrupted. If we interrupt our own work, it can take even longer—around twenty-nine minutes—to resume the task.

How to Prevent Distractions

At any given moment, your attention is either on your external environment, your thoughts, or a mix of both.

The more challenging a task or project, the more crucial it is to manage distractions beforehand. Once distractions arise, it’s often too late to protect your focus and intentions. Therefore, before starting your focus sessions:

1. Clean up your workspace.
2. Set an app and website blocker on your electronic devices. For Mac users, 1Focus is the best choice.
3. Put your phone in “Do Not Disturb” or airplane mode, and keep it out of sight—preferably in another room or a drawer.
4. Close your office door.
5. If necessary, put on noise-canceling headphones.

It’s important to check in with yourself regularly to see what’s on your mind. If you find your attention wandering, take a moment to reflect on what caused the distraction. This will help you eliminate that distraction next time.

Managing Distractions in Your Work Environment

The intensity of your distraction-free mode depends on your work environment.

Often, the most stimulating things in your environment are rarely the most significant. Directing your attention toward the most important object of your choosing—and then sustaining that attention—is the most consequential decision you will make throughout the day.

If you work for yourself or have a private office, you likely have more flexibility in eliminating distractions. However, if you work in a collaborative open-office environment, you may find it challenging to create a strong distraction-free mode.

Consider whether your current environment promotes relaxation and focus or chaos and distraction. Clean up your workspace, close your office door (if possible), or relocate to a conference room, library, or nearby coffee shop. Productivity is a process of understanding and adapting to your constraints.

Home Office With a Pet

The type of pet you have can significantly influence your work routine, especially when it comes to giving them attention before diving into deep work sessions.

Cats, for example, are usually quite independent and can entertain themselves. Dogs, on the other hand, require regular walks and more direct interaction. I found that working after walking da Vinci was most effective. Once he had met his exercise needs, he would rest, giving me a quiet window to focus on my tasks.

In addition, walking gave me a mental reset and a cognitive boost, allowing me to begin my work with renewed energy.

Meetings

Before attending a meeting, always ask yourself: What is the purpose of this meeting?

Consider whether your presence is truly necessary or if the matter can be resolved more efficiently through phone, video, or email. Evaluate if attending the meeting or social event is a good use of your valuable and limited time.

Environmental Cues

By eliminating novel cues in your working environment, you will be able to focus for much longer periods. It’s worth being deliberate about the cues you allow into your environment and considering how they might affect your productivity.

While environmental cues don’t actively interrupt us like notifications do, they can still significantly impact our productivity and personal life. Surround yourself with objects that promote productivity, calmness, and happiness, for example, a small plant on your desk, a picture of your dog or family, or your favorite books (or the ones that relate to whatever you are working on).

In my case, I have a wall calendar with pictures of dogs, a large whiteboard for jotting down upcoming projects, tasks, or ideas, a map of the world that reminds me of the places I’ve traveled, and a Snoopy painting by Meri Valenti. I also have a hula hoop, a treadmill desk, and a water bottle. These items remind me of my daily fitness goals, personal and work projects, and keep me happy while I work. My phone is usually in another room or a drawer.

App and Website Blocker

You should strongly consider using an app and website blocker for your electronic devices, such as 1Focus, to prevent access to distracting, time-wasting, and unwanted content.

Studies show we can work for an average of just forty seconds in front of a computer before we are either distracted or interrupted.

1Focus is an app and website blocker for Mac that helps you stay focused and get things done by blocking distracting websites and apps. You can block YouTube, adult sites, social media, Netflix, and more across Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera, and Arc.

Music

Music can also be a valuable asset to productivity. There are several “focus” playlists on Spotify that you can try. Research suggests that the most productive music is familiar and relatively simple, with no distracting lyrics.

Room Temperature

Room temperature is another factor to consider. The ideal temperature for productivity is around 70-72 °F (21-22 °C).

Optimizing Your Environment for Maximum Focus

• Mute notifications: Go to the notification settings on all your devices and turn off both audible and vibrating notifications.
• Remove time-wasting apps: Delete apps from your phone that consume most of your time and attention, such as social media, YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+.
• Customize notifications: Create a list of people whose messages are critical to your current tasks. Then adjust your email and phone settings so that you only receive notifications from them.
• Schedule message checks: Check for new messages within a set time period and only when you have the attention and energy to deal with them.
• Use a physical to-do list: Keep a to-do list in a notebook to avoid checking an app on your computer or phone that could lead to other distractions, such as news or social media.
• Delay replies: Remember that not every message or email requires an immediate response, or any response at all. Take your time before replying, especially if you are in an emotional state. Give yourself the space to think of an appropriate response when you have the mental capacity to deal with it.
• Disconnect from the internet: Either block the internet completely with an app, or restrict the use of certain apps and websites on your computer.

By eliminating distractions, your energy goes further, allowing you to work for longer periods without needing a break. Disabling distractions ahead of time means you expend significantly less mental energy regulating your behavior, making it easier to focus on your work.

Your Brain on Focus

The best way to increase productivity is to decide what you want to achieve before you start working.

Once you have decided what to focus on and for how long, the next step is to eliminate distractions.

While we can’t prevent interruptions from arising, we can control how we respond to them. The best way to deal with distractions and prevent them from stealing our attention is to keep our original intention in mind and return to it as soon as possible.

By removing any object of attention that’s potentially more stimulating and attractive than what you want to achieve, you give your brain no choice but to work on that task.

Your brain will inevitably resist more complex tasks, especially when you are starting them. When it does, you will look around for more exciting and stimulating things to do instead. Clearing your work environment of interruptions, distractions, and cues that draw you away from the task at hand will help you stay on track.

How to Keep Your Brain Focused

• Design a distraction-free mode.
• Simplify your work environment to eliminate tempting distractions.
• Clear your head (write down your thoughts, meditate, do breathing exercises, set daily intentions).

Basically, all you have to do is choose a task, eliminate distractions, focus on the task, and bring your mind back to work when it starts to wander or you get distracted.

Procrastination is most likely to occur with tasks that are boring, frustrating, difficult, unstructured or lack personal meaning or reward. If you think about something you tend to procrastinate on, it probably has most of these characteristics. Research suggests that your mind is less likely to wander when you are doing something you enjoy.

Why Our Mind Wanders

• We are stressed or bored.
• We are working in a chaotic environment.
• We are worrying about personal concerns.
• We are unsure if the task we are working on is the most productive or meaningful.

Being aware of your thoughts is one of the best ways to manage your attention.

Take Regular Breaks

Our mental energy tends to oscillate in 90-minute waves.

To optimize your productivity and maintain mental clarity, consider taking a break at least every 90 minutes or about a 15-minute break for every hour you work. Short, frequent breaks can help sustain your focus and efficiency throughout the day.

After a focused work session, reward yourself with an activity that is both enjoyable and requires minimal cognitive effort. Here are some suggestions:

• Have a cup of tea
• Take a walk
• Meditate
• Read something enjoyable
• Listen to music
• Look at pictures of your dog or baby
• Call a loved one

Your breaks should be pleasurable and effortless, providing a mental reset that prepares you for the next round of focused work.

Self-Care

• Establish a consistent sleep schedule to ensure you get enough rest each day.
• Eat nutritious, balanced meals and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
• Embrace moments of boredom and prevent burnout by taking regular breaks.

Health Checkups

If, despite trying different strategies, you’re still struggling to concentrate, feel constantly tired, or have trouble sleeping, don’t hesitate to see your family doctor for a medical check-up.

The same goes for your mental health: if self-help methods aren’t enough and you often feel anxious, depressed, or emotionally unwell, seek professional help. Sometimes self-help strategies alone may not be enough.

Conclusion

Effectively managing distractions is critical to improving productivity and achieving your goals. By understanding the sources of distraction and implementing strategies to mitigate them, you can create a more focused and efficient work environment.

Further Reading

You may also like: Deep Work: Mastering Focus and Time Management.

The recommendations in this article are based on the book “Hyperfocus: How to Work Less and Achieve More” by Chris Bailey, and have been adapted by the author of this article from her personal experience and opinions. This article is not sponsored and no compensation was received for its creation.