Commerce and banking happen electronically. Communication happens through email, messenger, Slack, and Zoom. Web Content In Businessīusiness is driven by the internet. Opening your email can take your mind in multiple directions unrelated to the work you are supposed to be doing at the moment. Watching one episode on Netflix leads to binge-watching entire seasons. Watching one YouTube video can lead to watching ten YouTube videos. You might be writing a blog post, listening to Spotify, surfing the internet across multiple open tabs, and responding to messages in Slack - all at the same time.Ĭertain websites are designed to capture your attention by endless distractions. The internet captures your attention, then scatters the focus across an almost infinite number of inputs. Studies show that it can take up to 23 minutes to regain your focus after visiting a distracting website. In one month the wasted time adds up to an entire workday that is lost on unproductive distractions. If you waste 10-15 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon, you can easily lose 2 hours per week (probably more). The Cost of Distractionsĭo the math on distractions. If it happens enough, your brain is conditioned for those behaviors. There is a trigger (notification) and a response (check email). Every time you receive a notification for a text message, email, or social media activity, your brain responds automatically to process the new information. The problem with working in a hyper-connected world is that your brain involuntarily responds to stimuli. Distractions Kill ProductivityĪnytime your mind wanders away from the real goal, it requires a lot of brainpower to fight the distraction and return to focus mode.
For example, needlessly checking your phone or email inbox throughout the day can break your focus and limit your productivity. Some of the changes are good while others may have a negative impact on your productivity. In other words, your thoughts and behavior can actually re-shape your mind. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s process for how it re-wires itself. Blocked websites cannot tap you on the shoulder and call your attention away from an important project. Fortunately, there are some ways to win the battle and maintain your focus with tools that allow you to block websites or even the entire internet. Knowledge workers have to confront the dangers of distraction on the internet every day. Ten-minute breaks can turn into one hour without you realizing it. The digital world is designed to be addictive. Even in moments when there was no valid reason to look at my phone, I reached for it anyway. I realized that through repetition, I programmed my brain for distraction.
Before that day I was unaware of how often I reach for my phone. Throughout the remainder of the day, I found myself reaching for a device that did not work. When an activity is repeated it is installed like a program that runs automatically. It is a reflex that people develop over time. Have you ever noticed how many times during a day you reach for your phone? It probably happens more than you think. The power of distractions is inescapable (almost).
0 kommentar(er)
