How to concentrate easier and not get distracted at work?

Our daily lives are undoubtedly not devoid of situations of distraction, and in many cases, it is even practically impossible to avoid them. What are the main sources of distraction and disturbed concentration? These are the technologies that are all around us and connect us to everything and everyone. These are the endless sources of information and entertainment that we can hardly tear ourselves away from, and can easily rob us of concentration and disrupt our workflow.

Even when we're swamped with work, we check our emails regularly, respond to colleagues in professional chat, check our social networks, or just daydream about the holiday ahead while looking out the window. However, frequent distractions necessarily have an effect on us and our concentration, on the work we do, on the quality, and on the time we could do it.

Today, we're sharing a few tips to increase productivity by avoiding distractions.

Change your email habits 

One receives dozens, sometimes hundreds of emails a day. Most of us feel the need to open each one as soon as it arrives. In some cases, however, these emails are not so urgent or important. Here are some tactics you could take to change your entrenched email habits:

• Make a schedule for reviewing your email - choose a time of day that is dedicated entirely to reading and responding to emails. For example, you can do it for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after lunch or however, best fits your schedule. Additional tip: Use low-productivity moments for this.
• Add them to your action plan - if an email takes more than a few minutes to read, reply and act on, then add it to your daily or weekly action plan as a separate task.
• Turn off your notifications whenever possible and necessary - turn off notifications on your computer or forward them to your mobile phone while you're doing something that requires concentration. As soon as you're done, you can turn them back on.

Use the chat in moderation

Many companies use various chat software that aims to make communication between colleagues and teams easier and faster. However, these chats can also be a cause of distraction with their numerous notifications and correspondences.

Try using chat for short queries and suggestions rather than long conversations. Abstain from the pressure to respond immediately and consider changing your "online" status when necessary.

Give your smartphone/smart devices a break

Nowadays, the use of all kinds of smart devices has blurred the line between personal and professional communication. Often, on the same device we receive work emails and calls, we also receive notifications of liked photos on social networks and joke messages from our loved ones.

Putting the phone away for a few hours of the day, turning off unnecessary notifications, and only taking important calls would surely reduce distractions drastically and also help increase the concentration required to complete a task.

Control your access to social media and the internet

Social networks allow us to communicate with a large number of people and find information in seconds. Unfortunately, however, they can also be detrimental to our productivity, distracting us from important tasks.

Smart devices now allow us to track our daily and weekly activity on social networks and create our own limits on its use. By tracking when and how much time you spend on an app, you'll be able to more easily create a schedule of separate short intervals during the day that are dedicated to posting or replying to messages.

These tips also apply with full effect to spending time on a variety of sites on the web.

Plan your day beforehand 

Use the last few minutes of the working day to make an action plan for the next one. That way, you'll more easily identify what's causing your distraction and start the day prepared, knowing exactly what you need to accomplish.

Additionals tips to concentrate in the office 

Working in an office environment can sometimes be distracting in itself - side noise, visitors, conversations with colleagues, and more. Some people find it difficult to focus and abstract from external factors. For those of you, we offer the following ideas:

• If you have the opportunity, seclude yourself in a private room at times when you need absolute concentration.
• You use sound-isolating headphones to "separate" yourself from your surroundings.
• Arrange your workspace to create an atmosphere that is not distracting. When your belongings are tidy, you'll also need much less time to find the thing you're looking for, which in turn will help you not lose focus.
• On days when you have urgent and important tasks that require your full attention, choose to work from home (if available).
• Ask your colleagues to leave you alone with your task for a period of time when you feel you need concentration.

Keep your mind and body focused

It is extremely important to take care of yourself and your mind because concentration requires energy. Good sleep, hydration, clearing the mind, and rest are just some of the habits you should remember in your daily life.

The most common causes of distraction and loss of concentration take little effort to correct and overcome but can aid productivity in the long run. Discovering the causes and taking steps to eliminate them will certainly work in your favor and benefit the optimization of your daily life.

The Manpower Bulgaria team shares these ideas, inspired by the recently introduced 4-day workweek model. Such optimizations in work habits are undoubtedly key to doing better and higher quality work in shorter periods of time.