According to research, our attention span has markedly decreased in just 15 years. In 2000, it was 12 seconds. Now, 15 years later, it's shrunk significantly to 8.25 seconds. And it is because we develop a habit of distracting ourselves again and again, it doesn't matter what we are doing.
On average, a person checks his phone 344 times per day i.e. once every 4 minutes per a survey of 1000 adults.
There’s a reason that distractions threaten your work output: According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task after getting distracted.”
Research shows that Internet Distraction usually leads you to get less done, because of our distraction we waste more time, become more distracted, and bring less focus and energy to our work.
Author of Hyper Focus explains in his Book that we're the busiest generation that ever existed. Now the question is that Despite all this technology, we are busy and also not producing the Best possible output that we can.
And the reason is Our Habit of Distraction, mainly the smartphone Distraction that always surrounds us.
In this Article I share a few words on Distractions and three Habits that help you to overcome this habit of smartphone distraction.
Avoid Distraction and Be More Focused.
So Let's Started.
• WHAT IS DISTRACTION
In my previous article "Deal with Distraction" I explained how a distraction is internal not external. So here we discuss a little about it.
Distraction means something that pulls you away from doing your work. If you're working then your smartphone's notifications or phone calls are and all the other things are a distraction. And also if you're on leave and spending time with your family then your work is a distraction if it pulls you away from spending time with family.
In the same way productivity doesn't mean accomplishing more, it means accomplishing what you decide. If you decide to spend Sunday with family, with no smartphone or no work, and if you achieve it then definitely you're productive the whole Sunday. And on Sunday you didn't do any of your professional work and you're still productive.
I think you get what I want to say.
• WHEN INTERNET TURN TO DISTRACTION
I already share the research that an average person checks his smartphone once every four minutes. It means that you're doing anything- your professional work, your domestic work, having a conversation with someone, waiting for someone or in a line - in all these scenarios you pull out your smartphone from your pocket and see new notifications, here it will turn to distraction. And when any distraction becomes your habit then it is an addiction.
Now you connect all the facts and come to this conclusion that every time when you again and again check your smartphone without any purpose and you’re doing something other, you're making it distraction.
• DISADVANTAGES OF INTERNET DISTRACTION
It doesn't matter what creates a distraction to your work. But it has disadvantages.
> The habit of Internet distraction makes your focus weak, and so decreases your productivity.
> You never enjoy whatever you're doing, because your attention is grabbed by distraction.
> When you repeat this habit of distracting yourself when you’re doing anything then it will turn into an addiction. And Because of Internet Addiction, a lot of people spend 1/3rd of the day using their smartphone. And in this time period you can do a lot of meaningful things that really add some value in your life.
> Smartphone Distractions derail your energy, but a lot of people think that using smartphones in between their work refreshes them and that is not true.
There is an amazing book called "How to live 24 hours a day" where Author explains that distraction drains our energy instead of recharging.
But now you think that when you use your smartphone you feel relaxed, that is not your problem. Those companies spend millions of dollar to make their products satisfying and also our brain like to consume more new things, and when you provide your brain more novel things then again your brain ask for more and every time its ask increase and after some time you'll be at a stage where it is impossible for your brain to concentration on your work because after every minute or a few second it ask for novel things.
• DEAL WITH DISTRACTION
I share the three habits that you have to follow to reduce this distraction. And you have to follow these habits, you have to do it yourself and for yourself.
1. Prevent Attention Switching
Smartphones are not a problem, the problem is that you switch your attention again and again from one task to your smartphone.
> Your attention is in a conversation and then immediately you switch your attention to your smartphone, and then again to conversation and then to smartphone.
> Your attention is on a call but you switch your attention to a reply message and then again back to call.
Now by doing this you train your brain to switch your attention again and again, and not to focus on your primary work.
So next time don't switch your attention again and again. You have to train your brain not to switch your attention, so your brain learns to stay focused on your primary task.
In your whole day you get a lot of opportunities to control your attention switching, like two of them I already discuss, conversation with someone and using your smartphone.
You have to follow this habit not only with smartphones but with all the things where you switch your attention.
2. Embrace Boredom
The threat to success is not failure but boredom - this is really a very deep quote. If you fail then definitely you make another attempt or do something else. But if you get bored with your work then you search for novel things and from here the distraction takes birth. And with time distraction converts into addiction and then it is the biggest threat to success.
So train your brain to embrace boredom, not the whole day but a few hours. Every time you get bored, don't easily provide distractions to your brain.
Just do some little effort and avoid this problem - Like when you're watching a TV program and then it breaks and you immediately change your channel or start using your smartphone to not get bored, stop doing this. Just watch the ads.
You're waiting for your friends and in the meantime you start using your smartphone, stop doing that.
3. Time for Smartphones
The reason why you are eager to use your smartphone is the craving for notifications, new messages, status of friends and many more. And when I say don't use your smartphone then, it means you are pushing back the craving and when you do this the craving will come with more force and bring disappointments in your life. And this is the reason why a lot of people fail to overcome distractions.
That's why I don't ask you to quit your smartphone, I say stop using your smartphone in between your work and block a particular time for your smartphone. So the craving will no longer worry you. Because your Brain knows that you're going to use your smartphone.
And the above two techniques help you to train your brain to stay focused.
And if you follow these three habits I guarantee your smartphone will be no more distraction for you. But don't expect results within a day.
• WHY IS THE SMARTPHONE DISTRACTION?
Maybe a question comes to your Mind that I explain that Distraction is anything that pulls you out from doing any professional or personal work. Then why in this Article I only talk about Smartphone distraction.
The answer is Because access to smartphones is very easy.
For example - If you're doing your work and then a friend calls you to play outside then chances are that you say NO, because it also takes effort. But it is effortless to pull out your phone from your pocket and distract yourself. And also you carry your smartphone the maximum time of your day, that's why we have to be much careful from the Smartphone distraction.
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