Maybe the issue of distraction is a symptom and not the issue itself. What causes a person to use technology to check their Social Media accounts dozens of times during a day? The likely causes are related to fear, anxiety, stress, or some other trigger that has an individual want to escape from the discomfort being felt.
When I am feeling uncomfortable, I tend to find a way to distract myself from what is really going on for me. I may not want to devote the time to finish writing an article or a report. I may be worried the material is not good enough so I start surfing YouTube videos or get lost in Instagram posts.
Identifying internal triggers such as boredom, stress or worry is the first step to ensuring you remain focused on the tasks at hand. It also means that you need to find ways to make those tasks workable. Stay at what you really do not like for a period of 10 minutes. That one step in and of itself leads to feelings of accomplishment and worthiness. When feeling worthy the discomfort of fear or anxiety is overridden.
When I address the feeling behind the distraction, I am able to become focused again. It also means that that I have regular breaks from my phone, email, and social media. There are several methods available to use to keep yourself focused. A popular one is called batching whereby you check emails or social media posts at certain times of the day only.
Batching does require discipline and the temptation to not do it does surface. A sure-fire method is to turn your phone off or onto airplane mode and then set an alarm for when it is time to turn full nationality back on. When writing or in a virtual meeting I also turn my email program off. That way I am not disturbed when new messages come in.
Another method to stay focused is to acknowledge your feelings related to anger, fear, worry, or doubt. Having done that takes a few minutes – 5 – 10 is ideal – and just allow those feelings to surface. Once you have done that you will find that your confidence in yourself is starting to return. You will also find that you are able to begin or complete whatever it is you need to complete.
These small changes lead to feelings of fulfillment, appreciation, and self confidence. Given the tumultuous times we live in, a few minutes a day to feel better is a worthwhile exercise to invest in for your own peace of mind.
Book a consultation with me at wisdomandpowernow.com for more information.
All the best,
Marie-Helene