Navigating Workplace Distractions: Strategies for Enhanced Focus and Productivity

If there’s one thing that can throw a wrench into focus, concentration, and productivity, it’s distractions. Unfortunately, in the modern workplace, distractions are par for the course.

Wherever you work, there are bound to be many distractions vying for your attention. For example, if you work from home, you might be distracted by household chores or a pet, family member, or roommate. If you work in person, you might be distracted by coworkers coming into your office or the overall volume of the office. And no matter where you work, standard distractions—like phones—will impact your workflow.

And all of those distractions can take up a lot of time. In fact, according to a survey from The Economist, distractions cause knowledge workers to lose a whopping 28 percent of their time at work.

Distractions are part of the modern workplace. But how can you navigate them in a way that helps you focus and get things done?

Get organized

Few things are more distracting than a messy, disorganized, and/or cluttered workspace. Not only is it a distraction, but all of that clutter could negatively impact your brain’s ability to focus.

Research shows that too many visual stimuli inhibit the brain’s ability to process information. As such, the visual overwhelm that comes with a cluttered space can make it hard to concentrate—causing focus and productivity to take a nosedive.

Luckily, clutter is entirely in your control, which makes it one of the easier distractions to navigate and manage. Before you start your workday, take 5 to 10 minutes to organize your space. Clear any clutter off of your desk and organize other spaces that are visible from your desk (for example, shelves or the floor). 

It may seem like a small task, but taking 5 to 10 minutes to organize your space can prevent the distractions associated with clutter and put you in the right headspace to focus and better navigate other distractions.

Stop multitasking

Arguably, one of the biggest distractions in the modern workplace is multitasking. It is near impossible to focus on one thing when you’re also trying to do another; for example, you won’t fully concentrate on project work if you’re constantly checking your inbox or chatting with a coworker.

When you’re multitasking, you’re in a constant state of distraction; you’re distracted from task A by task B. And you’re distracted from tasks B and A. Switching between functions makes it hard to concentrate and makes all of your tasks more time-consuming. For example, According to research highlighted by the American Psychological Association, “even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time,”—which means that if you’re a multitasker, you’re wasting nearly half of your time at work.

Multitasking might be one of the biggest distractions in the modern workplace, but it’s also simple to navigate. To overcome multitasking and boost concentration in the process, commit to only doing one task at a time.

Simple? Yes. But it’s not easy for everyone. We’re so used to multitasking that shaking the habit can be hard. So, to overcome this distraction once and for all, it can help to have a strategy—like calendar blocking.

Every morning, look at your daily to-do list—and then assign a specific time on your calendar to tackle each of those to-do’s. Putting everything on your calendar will give you a clear plan; not only do you know what you’re supposed to do and when you’re supposed to do it, but it’s a concrete way to show yourself that there is time to get everything done—which can help with the urge to multitask. (For example, chances are, you’ll be less tempted to check your email impulsively when you know you have a scheduled email block coming soon.)

The bottom line? Multitasking can drain focus, and focusing on one task at a time is a must if you want to boost concentration and productivity.

Schedule time for distractions…

Distractions aren’t just a part of the modern workplace; they’re a part of modern life, and no matter how diligent or committed you are to avoiding distractions, there really isn’t a way to eliminate them completely. 

So, if distractions are a part of work (and life!) and you can’t eliminate them completely, the best thing you can do is get them under control. And while it may sound counterintuitive, the best way to do this is to give them space to exist.

Just like you schedule your daily to-do’s, schedule daily time for distractions. For example, if you’re usually distracted by social media, schedule 15 minutes after lunch each day to mindlessly scroll Instagram. Do you tend to get distracted by your thoughts (which, it should be noted, is totally normal; research shows that the average person’s mind wanders at least 30% of the time)? Add a time block on your calendar specifically for daydreaming.

By scheduling time in your day for distractions, you’re psychologically signaling to yourself that you will welcome those distractions at a time that works for you and your schedule—which, in turn, can prevent them from distracting you when concentrating on other things.

Try a pattern interrupt.

If you find yourself distracted at work, it can be hard to get your concentration back; once something has grabbed your attention, it might keep your attention—which can keep you from refocusing on the work at hand. (For example, if you get distracted by a text message, you might continue looking at your phone—or, if you get distracted by a conversation with a coworker, you might have trouble getting back into the swing of work once the conversation is over.)

If you find yourself stuck in a distracted state, doing something to shake yourself out of that state can help you regain your concentration—AKA a pattern interrupt.

As the name suggests, a pattern interrupt is a technique that involves disrupting a pattern to induce a new state—in this case, taking action to move from a state of distraction to a state of concentration.

If you find yourself in a pattern of distraction, doing something to change your physical, mental, or emotional state can help you refocus. For example, you might submerge your face in cold water, do 10 jumping jacks, or go for a walk outside (which is particularly effective for refocusing; research shows that spending 29 minutes outside can increase productivity by up to 45 percent). Moving from one location to another—for example, from your desk to a conference room—can help interrupt the pattern and get your concentration back on track.