Udemy for Business surveyed US workers in 2018 about distractions in the workplace. More than half (54%) said that their performance is not as well as it should be because of workplace distractions. Half of them think that they are significantly less productive. The top two distractors mentioned were chatty coworkers and office noise. They also indicated that open office layout and digital distractions are affecting the ability to focus.
Even if you don’t work on an office setting distractions are affecting your productivity too. Here are some tips to avoid them.
How to avoid distractions in the workplace
- Know when your focus and creativity levels are higher and plan to do your most difficult tasks during that period. Block that time in your calendar and notify everybody that you are not available unless it is an emergency.
- If you are a morning person, try to come earlier to the office and take advantage of the quiet space. If you are a night owl, you can stay later to tackle those tasks.
- When you need to focus on an important task while everybody else is present, set some rules. Let everybody know in a polite way that you need some “Do not Disturb” time.
- Create the perfect environment, avoiding distractions. Turn off all notifications, chats, and social media.
- Set specific periods to interact with business emails and social media.
- Keep your work area clean and organize to avoid visual distractions.
More tips to manage distractions
Regardless of how hard you try, somebody or something will distract you. There are a few more things that you can do. For example, learn how to manage distractions like emails and office noise. Also, turn off the emails notification and use blocks of time to work with them. Use headphones to cancel the noise, or have a sign to tell people that you would like to not be disturbed during that time.
Also, remember that having a good night’s sleep and healthy eating habits will help you to have the energy to concentrate. Find your own trick, and keep the focus!