Brain research has pretty well debunked the myth of multitasking. Our brains only focus on one thing at a time. We may think that we are doing two things well at once, but we are really doing two things poorly. We are more efficient, effective, creative, and productive when we relearn to focus our full attention on doing only one thing at a time.
Researchers found that Outlook’s® pop-up email notification, the pop-up on-screen summary that shows each new message as it arrives, can distract a computer user from their original task for an extended period of time. College students who participated in their study were distracted from their focused mental flow state for up to 18 minutes or longer as they opened, read, processed, responded to, or deleted the email message and then returned to the basic computer project they were originally working on. That was 18 minutes for each pop-up!
We have all become accustomed to batting away emails like mosquitoes and having multiple windows open on our screens while talking on the phone, texting, watching TV and unfortunately for some, driving! This is an accident waiting to happen even if you are in the safety of your office or cube. Distraction is a major cause of workplace inefficiencies, errors, and accidents.
Many of us have become addicted to distraction and have developed a very low tolerance for boredom. This is costing corporations billions of dollars and a few lives (driving safely requires your full focus).
So what’s a weary, distracted modern worker to do?
Here are a couple of easy tips you can use to improve your focus and productivity by reducing your distractions.
- Manage your email notifications.
- Open Outlook® and go to its mail settings.
1) Find the notification settings for new messages.
2) Look for the options for when new messages arrive.
3) Turn off the desktop alerts, sounds, and envelope icons.
4) Save your changes.
- Check your email only once every 30 minutes or every hour, depending on how urgent your typical messages are. This will allow your brain to enter a high-performance flow state and will help you to focus your attention.
- Turn off the email notifications on your smartphone.
- Put your phone on silent or Do Not Disturb, or put it in your glove compartment, just before you start your car. It’s too tempting to keep it close by.
- Learn to recognize your feelings of boredom and allow yourself to become bored instead of seeking more electronic stimulation. Some of the world’s best ideas were no doubt the product of a quiet, focused, boring moment.
The moral of the story is to prioritize your work so that you have a plan. Then you work your plan, doing only one thing at a time.
Take control of your distractions today!
Ready to fire up your work and your life? I’m an executive coach from Indianapolis, and I work one-on-one with executives and managers, in person for local clients or via Zoom. If this post raised a question about your work or your next step, we should talk. The first discovery call is free and confidential. Book your discovery call, or call or text me at 317-643-0058, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.
