Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you had a completely productive 9-to-5 workday? Or, when was the last time you had a workday without interruptions?
Those days probably don’t occur very frequently, if ever.
However, why? It has been demonstrated that it is practically difficult to achieve 100 percent productivity throughout the day. Second, it is quite impossible to remain undistracted throughout the day unless you are in a locked room, without mobile devices, in a very peaceful atmosphere.
In an age where everything demands our attention, maintaining control is difficult.
There is always space for improvement, however. But in order to improve, we must identify the things that influence our working focus.
Outcomes
The employee monitoring tool designed a poll with a single question to determine what distracts employees the most at work: what distracts you the most at work?
The responses were diverse, but participants could only select one, allowing us to identify the top office distraction.
In the end, 1,334 office workers from various businesses and positions participated in the study, yielding the following findings:
The most commonly stated interruptions were coworker questions, dashing around the office, and working “as quickly as possible.”
Imagine concentrating on a task when a coworker interrupts you with a random question.
The second annoyance is workplace noise (conversations, chatter, typing, sneezing, phone calls, etc.) The Internet, or rather becoming lost on the Internet, is the third most popular response.
Also at the top of the list are phone and workplace notifications, personal and relationship issues (including interpersonal relationships at work), and poor office weather.
Email, inadequate lighting, a messy office and/or untidy desk, meetings, and music were the least popular responses (background music, office radio, etc.).
External variables, often known as the environment, play a greater role than internal considerations. Personal interactions inside and outside of the office are the only internal elements cited as distractions.
The Scientific Rationale Behind Distraction
According to a study conducted by the worldwide learning and teaching site Udemy, over 70% of employees feel distracted.
In most research, the causes of focus loss include interruptions, background noise, clutter, boisterous coworkers, etc.
However, discrepancies arise when a study seeks to determine which generation is most distracted.
According to one study, generations Z and Y are better able to handle distractions, while another argues that generations Y and Z are almost constantly distracted.
How the office is organized is an additional generational difference that is intriguing. Open floor plans are preferred by Generation Z and millennials because they allow communication and collaboration.
This variety of ideas may make every one susceptible to distractions. Therefore, there is no single way to assist us to concentrate. However, we may propose some possible strategies.
Three Ways for Avoiding Interruptions at Work
Recognizing the most prevalent sorts of distractions, we’ve developed a set of tips and methods to assist you to identify when you’re distracted, allowing you to move on to the production phase more simply.
1. Turn Off Any Ambient Sounds
It is common knowledge that background noise can hinder workplace efficiency. Whether it’s coworkers speaking too loudly, a loud sneeze from across the room, or the new Justin Bieber album you can’t wait to hear, noise may be a nuisance.
What then can you do? First, locate a more peaceful area of the office. Alternatively, you can purchase the best noise-canceling headphones and listen to music to help you concentrate.
It is acceptable if you do not yet have a personal playlist for work and concentration. Check out our YouTube video describing how gaming music can increase productivity, and listen to some of our favorite playlists.
2. Remove Clutter from Your Workplace
Clutter causes anxiety. A crowded desk can make it difficult to concentrate on the job at hand and drain your vitality. The idiom “a clean desk is a clean mind” is accurate for a reason.
Therefore, you must eliminate the clutter that hinders your productivity and get everything in order.
You can even reorder. There are numerous recommendations and Pinterest boards that might inspire you to organize your workstation in a manner that is conducive to your comfort.
3. Turn Off Notification Sounds
Notifications slow our workflow, keep us from performing our best job, and eventually erode our sense of success, thus the ability to effectively manage them is a key talent in the modern world.
However, if you continue to check your phone every time it rings, disable push notifications or your phone entirely. This will provide you with peace of mind and allow you to return to work with confidence.
Last Words
We should be able to maximize our productivity at work rather than merely enduring an 8-hour workday.
As people seek to improve (especially at the start of a new year), we must determine what prevents us from achieving our productivity objectives. Thus, it will be easy to find a solution to our dilemma.
The task of overcoming distractions is arduous. However, if the outcome is to do the task in less time, it is worthwhile to maintain concentration.
