Reasons Why You Are Distracted And How To Be More Focused
Some of the greatest minds, like Einstein, were only able to reach the top by completely and utterly immersing themselves in their work. And that, of course, required complete focus and a distraction-free environment. But how is being distraction-free possible in today’s highly stimulating environment you wonder and what makes people so prone to getting distracted?
People get distracted because their brains are wired for distractions. Distractions activate different parts of our brain and do so more quickly than if we were paying attention. And the brain processes information that is coming from the outside world in two different ways. Willful focus produces what are called "top-down" signals, while automatic focus produces "bottom-up" signals. So anything that seems out of the ordinary will automatically grab our attention and kick in either button-up or automatic reaction.
In this article I will talk about some other reasons on why we get distracted and talk about a few negative side effects that come with constantly getting distracted.
Lack of Internal Motivation
Think about the time when you worked on a creative project or something that you highly enjoyed working on and you’ve lost track of time. You were so immersed and in-the-zone that thinking about something else, and, as a result, getting distracted, wasn’t an option. In this case, you could focus because you were internally motivated and found your activity highly stimulating and fulfilling. So much so, that any tempting distractions were ignored. When we lack interest in an activity, we tend to get distracted by either our own thoughts, like thinking about that delicious chocolate cake in the fridge, or are more prone to allowing external factors to distract us.
External Environmental Factors
An external factor that is distracting could be anything from your phone (not another message!) To that annoying telemarketer that has been calling you daily for the past month. It can also be your baby crying while you’re trying to get some work done and or your distracting neighbors that are having a fiesta at two in the morning. All of those factors will contribute to you taking your attention away from whatever you were working on and getting distracted. Another interesting thing to consider is that Facebook, which is another external distraction, is especially made to be distracting and addicting. According to cbsnews.com, a former Facebook executive went on record to say that the company intentionally made its products as addictive as cigarettes. And to make Facebook more potent, the engineers added status updates, photo tagging, and likes.
Your Own Mind
Wait, what? What exactly does that mean? Two psychologists conducted a study and discovered that we spend around 47% of every waking hour "mind wandering." Also called "stimulus-independent thought," mind wandering is an experience so ordinary, so natural to us, we don't even notice it. It means that despite all of the potential external distractions, you are still in control internally. Meaning if you can learn to control your thoughts and be present, then you can pretty much stay focused on anything.
I will give you an example, let’s say you are reading a book and suddenly an ocean of thoughts floods your mind, telling you to go and make some food, or check your Facebook status, or make a phone call to your boyfriend/girlfriend. In this case, you have two options. Either allow your thoughts to distract you or disallow yourself from getting distracted and finish the book instead. So it’s comforting to realize that being distracted is mostly a choice.
And now that we talked about some culprits that are distracting you, let me list some potential issues that come along with being distracted —
Poor work quality
Wasted energy and inability to finish a project
Wasted time
Never hitting a goal
Unhappiness due to your inability to stay present
Always being exhausted
Heavy toll on productivity
Training your brain to stay distracted instead of staying focused
The fact-of-the-matter is that distractions have a lot of drawbacks. From taking a heavy toll on productivity to making us completely and utterly exhausted. According to psychologytoday.com, one study found that office distractions eat an average of 2.1 hours a day.
Another study published in October 2005, found that employees spent an average of 11 minutes on a project before being distracted. After an interruption, it takes them 25 minutes to return to the original task, if they do at all. People switch activities every three minutes, either making a call, speaking with someone in their cubicle, or working on a document. Imagine how efficient we could be without distractions? Finishing our work or projects in half the time and freeing up more time to do whatever we wanted.
Wrapping Up
To conclude your brain is to blame for distractions, as it is wired to get distracted. But lack of internal motivation, external environmental factors, and your own thoughts are also responsible. We are often distracted due to working on a project that doesn’t motivate us and that we view as boring. External factors, such as: our phones, friends, family, neighbors, marketers, and social media, can be incredibly distracting, too. And finally, it’s our own thoughts that are the most distracting of all. Because by getting distracted, we are allowing ourselves to be distracted by thinking that the distraction cannot be ignored.
How Can We Learn How to Be Less Distracted?
From what you’ve learned here, being distracted is mostly a choice and we can train our brain to work for us by redirecting our thoughts. The first step is to notice when your mind starts to wonder. And because mind-wandering is like a dream and it’s very hard to catch, you have to continuously remind yourself to notice. Once you notice, the second step is to shift your attention to the present moment. What helps me is telling myself that I am doing whatever it is I am doing. For example, I am reading a book right now and am sitting on a white leather sofa. It can help to touch the leather sofa or tap your feet on the hardwood floor. What also helps is paying attention to sights, sensations in your body, and the sound of birds, the clock, or blaring car horns outside. And finally, you can practice this new way of being present by taking 15 to 30 seconds and really enjoying the moment.