Are You Easily Distracted At Work?

For me personally, I work best when I am alone in a quiet environment where I can concentrate on my work which then becomes my sole focus. This is my preferred way of working and I work diligently and determined to do my best. I often find myself working above and beyond, simply because I can concentrate and give my work my full attention. I also like what I do, which helps enormously.

However, in an office environment, I find myself becoming easily distracted. Although I like being alone, I equally thrive in a crowd. I am the person who wants to know where everyone has been at the weekend, who they have been with and why. I tend to make comments on everything, I like to laugh and joke and when I think of something to say then I need to say it - out loud - to everyone. I snigger at nothing and then I snigger at everything. Unfortunately, and I am ashamed to say, very easily distracted and tend to distract others.

While I tend to thoroughly enjoy myself when I spend time in the workplace, surrounded by people, more often than not I tend to lose my focus and that inevitably leads to not being as productive as I could be.

Statistics show that I am not alone in this with well over three quarters of employees admitting to becoming distracted at work with just under a hundred percent saying that they are interrupted several times a day. Common distractions include the noise of the working environment and interacting with colleagues. Personal use of technology is also a huge distraction with over half regularly checking phones during the working day.

Staying focused and avoiding distraction is essential for productivity and efficiency and there are several techniques that can help you concentrate on your work and not what is going on around you.

If you can, you should try and have your personal workspace set up in such a way so that it minimises potential distractions by eliminating unnecessary clutter and items that have no use for your work. A clean, tidy and clutter free work space will help you stay focused on your tasks and keep your mind on your work.

Minimise or eliminate digital distractions. This means turning your mobile phone off during working hours,not checking personal emails or any social media platforms. Use lunch or tea breaks to check these or better still, wait until the working day comes to a close.

Plan your working day and evaluate the tasks that you have to complete and identify the more important tasks that require full focus. Create a schedule, plan or a list  which details your priorities, perhaps breaking larger tasks into smaller steps. This can be extremely helpful for people who have many different tasks to complete within the day.

Ensure you take regular breaks as this really does help when you need to refocus and recharge your attention between your tasks. Taking short breaks can help improve your focus and helps to clear your mind throughout the day.

Identify your own working patterns and become aware of times when you are feeling particularly productive or times when you feel your attention beginning to wane and use this to your advantage. Structure your working pattern with your energy levels which will maximise your productivity.