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I get distracted easily, especially when it’s work related. Back in college I was known to disable the wifi on my laptop just so I wouldn’t go online and browse Facebook, read blogs, or chat on AIM. Nowadays, I don’t have that luxury. Most of what I do is online so I have to stay connected. Fortunately, there are a variety of things that can be done to limit my distractions.

Pause Inbox

I used to find myself checking my email numerous times a day. I would check it, navigate away from it, then find myself checking it again 5 minutes later. Usually no new emails came in during that time, I just clicked out of habit. Now I pause my inbox throughout the day when I’m trying to get work done. Since I often find myself in my inbox referring to past emails, removing the distraction of new emails helps immensely.

Limit Access

What good is Twitter if you’re not signed in? You can’t Pin if you’re not logged in either. When I find myself getting distracted by social media sites, I sign out! It makes me think twice about procrastinating if I have to log in to the site to do it. Similarly, you could clear your cache, which is great if you want to sign out of everything and limit temptations. If either of those options aren’t stopping you, there’s always SelfControl. SelfControl is a Mac application that allows you to block yourself from certain distracting sites for a predetermined length of time. There’s no getting out of this one.

Turn Off Notifications

I don’t know about you, but seeing my phone light up and watching badge numbers increase on apps is incredibly distracting. Once I see them, I can’t just ignore them. So I cut the problem off at the source: I disabled notifications. Someone Tweets me? I have no clue unless I go into the app. New emails coming in? I’m blissfully unaware. If I’m really trying to tune everyone out, I’ll put my phone on do not disturb mode.

Shut the World Out

I work from home, where my 3 cats don’t want to leave my sight. And let’s not get started on my sister. In order to get the most work done, I work in my office with the door shut. For you, maybe it’s finding a quiet corner or working early in the morning. Or maybe working in a coffee shop away from your day to day distractions does the trick. Whatever it may be, make sure you’re working in a distraction free environment.

Write it Down

Whenever I’m supposed to be working, my brain tends to wander. Suddenly I remember things that I want/need to do. Instead of getting distracted and doing those things as I remember them or worse yet, not doing them and forgetting, I write them down on a blank notepad that I keep next to me while working. When thoughts pop into my head, I quickly write them down and carry on. Then at scheduled points throughout my day, I check the list and attend to it. I no longer forget things and I don’t distract myself with tasks when I should be working.

What do you do to limit distractions?

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