Distraction isn’t just about losing a few minutes here and there. It’s a pervasive issue that can derail entire days and diminish our productivity, peace of mind, and personal satisfaction. 

Distractions come in various forms, from the constant smartphone pings to the endless scroll of social media and the bombardment of emails. Each of these elements fights for our attention, pulling us away from tasks that require focus and depth.

But what does distraction really look like, and more importantly, how can you combat its pervasive influence in your life?

Here are some ways to think about it and practical tools to try…. 

1. Intention

Before tackling distraction it’s important to get clear on your intention. Why do you want to manage distraction better? If you rated how much distraction affects your daily life on a scale of 1 to 10 what would you say?

Increasing your awareness around this subject will help you to gauge the impact it’s having on you and will give you the motivation to change what you need to so you can beat distraction. 

Ask yourself what about being distracted frustrates you or causes problems. Is it the way it hinders your work? Or perhaps how it affects your relationships or personal growth? Understanding this can strengthen your reasons to find solutions.

2. Mindset

Your mindset here is vital. To help fend off distractions it’s helpful to connecting to your core intentions and really understand why the task/s at hand are important to you. 

Believing that you can overcome distractions will go a long way in making it a non negotiable element of your working day. 

Adopt a proactive mindset and believe in your ability to find and use tools and techniques that help you to focus and be organised.

Create clear boundaries around your work too. This protects your time and energy. Your two most important commodities. Adopt a mindset of ownership over your distractions, rather than seeing yourself as a victim of distraction, view yourself as the manager of your attention and time.

3. Environment

Your surroundings are a key element in how easily you can be distracted. 

Take a moment to check that your workspace is conducive to concentration. This could mean placing your phone in another room or turning off non-essential notifications. Here’s some research showing that even the presence of a phone within your peripheral vision can be a significant distraction. 

Check if there are any background noises, like the radio or TV. While these can feel comforting as a backdrop, they can also split your attention. 

Temperature, hydration, and nutrition also play roles in how focused you can remain. Keeping a water jug on your desk or ensuring you have healthy snacks can prevent unnecessary breaks that might lead to distractions.

And organising your desk to minimise clutter and use tools like multiple monitors if necessary to keep pertinent information readily available without needing to switch contexts frequently.

4. Practical Tools to Combat Distraction

Try these simple techniques to see which ones work best for you. We’re all different so it’s important to try them out to find the right ones for your work routine and way of working. 

Brain breaks

Jim Kwik, one of the top brain performance experts, recommends having frequent brain breaks throughout the day. These short pauses are used to step away from cognitive tasks and allow your mind to reset, similar to rebooting a computer. During these breaks, he suggests stretching, walking, or meditating. This helps maintain a high level of performance and focus when you return to your tasks.

The Pomodoro Technique

This involves working in focused slots of 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break. After four "pomodoros," (25 min slots) take a longer break of 30 minutes. This rhythm helps maintain high levels of focus while preventing burnout. I love it and use it quite a lot. We use a version of this in our co-working sessions on Zoom and it always gets great feedback. 

Time Blocking

Allocate specific blocks of time in your calendar for different activities. This helps to create a routine and also helps you to mentally preparing for the task, so that you’re focused on that rather than thinking about 3 other things on your to do list. This works well because when you do get in ‘the flow’ work can feel easy and you can get a lot done.

Mind Mapping

If you organise your thoughts and priorities before you start a task, it helps you to visualise what you need to do and helps your brain by giving it a map to follow. I find this really helpful and I often find myself grabbing a piece of A4 and some coloured pens to play with this technique. It really helps me to see it more clearly.

Single Tasking

Focus on one task at a time. This might seem counterintuitive but as we know, multitasking doesn’t exist. When you’re fully engaged with the task at hand it will often reduce the time it takes for you to finish it. And you’ll likely do better work too. I notice this for sure. It’s a practice of mine that when I feel the opposite happening and I’m flip flopping all over the place with my work, that I step back, go and get some tea and take a break before restarting.

Digital Minimalism

Doing a digital health check every so often is very supportive if you want to reduce distraction. Remove apps you don’t use or that are taking up too much of your time for little reward. Mute all notifications and even allocate specific time to when you’re going to check your email or reply to texts. It’s amazing how much time this frees up. 

5. The Role of Nutrition in Focusing the Mind

🫐 Brain Food

The brain needs a variety of nutrients to function optimally, and certain foods can directly contribute to mental clarity, concentration, and the ability to stay on task. 

Try and integrate these foods into your diet to nourish your brain and increase your focus. Food is definitely one of the ways we can make it easier for ourselves to manage distractions and stay productive. The easier you can make it for yourself the better. 

1. Blueberries are often referred to as "brainberries," because they are rich in antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, enhancing neural connections and memory function. They make such an ‘easy win’ snack. 

2. Nuts and Seeds are a source of healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E. Walnuts and pumpkin seeds protect brain cells from oxidative damage, improving brain health and cognitive longevity. Sprinkle these on your cereal or porridge int he morning or with salads in the summer. 

3. Foods like oats and brown rice provide a steady supply of energy (glucose) to the brain, crucial for maintaining concentration and focus throughout the day.

4. Dark Chocolate contains flavonoids, caffeine, and theobromine, which are known to boost mood and concentration. The caffeine content, in particular, enhances alertness and focus.

5. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats, avocados support healthy blood flow to the brain, promoting optimal brain function and concentration.   

6. Leafy green veg like spinach and kale are loaded with vitamins A and K, which help fight inflammation and keep bone density strong, while also fostering cognitive functions.

7. Fatty fish like salmon and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, and are vital for maintaining the fluidity of cell membranes and promoting new brain cell formation.

8. Broccoli is another good food to eat as it’s high in antioxidants and vitamin K. It’s considered essential for brain health as it is known to enhance cognitive function and brainpower. I love steaming this with garlic and chilli.

9. Eggs contain choline, a nutrient that is used to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in mood and memory regulation. Also good for women over 40 for protein, particularly in the morning.

10. Turmeric has an active compound called curcumin which is a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. They help maintain brain health by clearing out neural pathways and potentially reducing the risk of cognitive disorders.

It Is Possible To Eliminate Distraction 

Distractions are inevitable and all around us but with the right intention, mindset, environmental adjustments, and practical tools, their impact can be significantly reduced.

By understanding the unique ways in which distractions affect you and using strategies to manage them, you can improve your focus and productivity. 

The key to overcoming distractions is not sheer willpower because this will fade with time, it’s having techniques that work and and an easy way to integrate them into your personal schedule. A bit of prep and care over working out your personal plan will really pay off.