I read thirty articles, watched dozens of youtube videos, listened to tons of advice from friends to try everything existing ways and tell you what really works.
Problem
I'm a master of distraction. Even now, starting to write this text, I already looked at Yandex, looked at my watch, was going to go to VKontakte and turn on the kettle.
In winter and autumn, the problem is not as relevant as in spring and summer. In the warm season, I become a real top, unable to sit on a chair even for two hours. I do something all day, and the main things remain unfinished.
In science, this is called procrastination - this is such a thing when a person is prone to constantly postponing important or unpleasant things. Most often, procrastination happens to perfectionists who like everything to be done perfectly.
Time traps
Most of the time I get distracted like this:
- I go to social networks
- Going for tea/coffee
- I'm looking for something to eat, and I have a snack
- I start talking to someone
- Checking my phone
- I start thinking about abstract topics and immerse myself in my thoughts
- I notice something that seems to need to be decided right now (“I need to dust the table urgently!”, “This flower has not been watered for a long time!”)
- I notice an interesting link to an article, go and read it
- After reading interesting article off topic, I'm starting to read the rest of the articles on the site
When I saw the topic “How not to be distracted while working” on the editor’s list, I thought it was a sign from above, but I had no idea how difficult it would be. Now that you know that I'm the biggest bum and distraction, I'll tell you what happened to me.
The first and super-banal advice that I found on the net sounds like this:
Compose detailed list affairs and strictly follow it. Leave in the schedule time for personal matters (tea / coffee, personal calls, etc.). Get a grip and do it!
Well, why not start simple?! To be honest, I decided to play it safe and download the ManicTime program, which allows you to track what you are actually doing at the computer. A useful thing in the program is a stopwatch. You can record a task and set a timer. For example, my timer asked me every half an hour if I was working on an article. Very comfortably.
My to-do list:
14:00 - write an article
15:10 - finalization of the article
16:00 - tea + news
16:10 - start writing article #2
17:30 - finish things, start getting ready
18:00 - exit
22:30 - start filling in the eco-table
00:00 - start getting ready for bed
What's happened | Already at 14:01 I received several messages on WhatsApp, which I was distracted by. After five minutes, I had to turn off wi-fi on my phone After 40-45 minutes, I really wanted to distract myself. Since I tried very hard to keep the regime, I just turned my head from side to side, sighed and looked out the window, then at the clock |
Result | I wrote one and a half articles and did everything according to plan. For me, this is a victory. Despite the pressure of time, the quality has not suffered, the result is satisfied |
The only thing that disciplined me was the program. She reminded me of tasks, and I remembered that she wrote down all the actions. It was the feeling of "Big Brother" that made me not be distracted, and not the schedule at all |
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How the permanent way won't work |
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Efficiency | 2 out of 5 |
Advice: music at work helps to focus on duties without being distracted by conversations and office noise, gives inspiration to work, is pleasant backdrop for workflow. Mozart's music enhances concentration and brain efficiency. Jazz increases productivity.
In order to improve the result and block extraneous noise I decided to use headphones.
What's happened | Turns out I don't like Mozart. I don't have the strength to listen to it! After a few minutes, I started to get annoyed. Couldn't write a single line. Needless to say, I immediately googled “why is Mozart annoying?” In order not to spoil the experiment, I decided to listen to something else. From Strauss, I started to fall asleep ... Honestly! I was cut right off! I had to try listening to a collection of the London Symphony Orchestra. And pass again. Jazz carried me away, I began to dance and tap my fingers on the table, as a result I did not write anything After spending half a day on this, I settled on pop Pink and Katy Perry. At least you can listen to them without listening, and it’s quite normal to write under them, but I didn’t notice an increase in productivity |
Result | None of the plans were completed |
Theoretically, you can disconnect from outside world. Someone can |
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The job still doesn't work |
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Efficiency | 0 out of 5 |
Advice: tell others and friends that you need some peace and quiet to complete the work and you should not be disturbed. Turn off your phone, block distracting websites, put a do not disturb sign on your desktop. Focus on the task.
The first thing I did was to install a tricky program - Internet Security Controller. It does not stupidly block specific sites, but allows you to customize the blocking for yourself. For example, you can block VKontakte from 10:00 to 19:00 from Friday to Saturday. In addition, you can set total time, which you allow yourself to spend on a particular site. For example, Instagram - 15 minutes a day.
Then I did not warn anyone about anything, but stupidly turned off the phone and closed the mail, which usually hangs with me all day in a separate tab. In addition, I removed social networks from the quick launch bar of the browser.
What's happened | To be honest, I didn't even check the lock. I just realized that if I had to install on a laptop special program, which will hide social networks from me, which means I have problems. This thought upset me so much that I had no desire to break my own prohibitions. What am I, a little child, really?! My fuse and disappointment lasted for several rather fruitful hours. Closer to five in the evening, I began to worry about how life flows there without me. I began to think that everyone had lost me, and in the messages one hundred and twenty “where are you?” and "what's going on?" |
Result | The plan for the day was completed by 80%, the quality is average, apparently due to the general sad mood |
Blocking is an option |
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Turning off the phone is not suitable for everyone (there may be work calls) |
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Efficiency | 1 of 5 |
I deceived the program very simply - I turned on the phone and immediately went to all prohibited sites. To my dismay, there was not a single message for the whole day.
Advice: undressed working time for 25 minute segments, set a timer. Until the timer runs out, do not be distracted from the task at hand.
The bottom line is to focus fully on the task for 25 minutes and take a five-minute break after that time. After four such “pomodoros” out of 25 minutes, the rest should be increased to 10-15 minutes. Any online timer, a timer on your phone, a kitchen timer, which the creator of the tomato technique used for himself, or, for example, such a turbo button, will do.
What's happened | Having put two articles in the plan of the day, I did not really believe that I would be able to finish them - it really hurt difficult topics and large volume. The first 25 minutes flew by quickly and cheerfully. I felt energized and inspired. I love this spirit of competition! I wanted more, I wanted to continue, so after barely sustaining the prescribed five minutes of rest, I continued with great zeal. As a result, the first article was written in 50 minutes I didn’t want to write a second article right away, so I began to do other things from the plan, and they all easily and productively fit into 25 minutes. |
Result | The plan was completed by 90%. It was fun and interesting |
It turned out that tasks that I could stretch for hours are completed in 25 minutes. This information turned my world upside down. Anything can be written in 25 minutes: cleaning, ironing, reading, studying, having lunch, etc. |
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It turned out that I can’t do similar work in a row - I definitely need to diversify my activities. With this technique, I would not be able to write only articles all day |
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Efficiency | 4 out of 5 |
Advice: use the principles of aromatherapy. Rosemary stimulates mental capacity, increases concentration, helps with overwork. Eucalyptus increases efficiency and productivity, reduces drowsiness caused by overexertion. Sage increases concentration, motivation and mood.
I bought a special concentrating balm from the Badger brand from the Aromatherapy series. The description says that it should be used "for concentration, energizing and clearing the mind." Ingredients: grapefruit, rosemary, ginger, lemon, cardamom, calendula.
What's happened | Day 1. I applied the balm under my nose, on my temples, on my neck arteries and on my wrists. The smell seemed weak, so during the whole working day I kept this thing under my nose and inhaled the aroma. It looked strange. I don’t know if this is related to aromatherapy, but I couldn’t write a single article, because I analyzed everything very deeply Day 2. For the purity of the experiment, I decided to repeat the experience. Maybe this is self-hypnosis, but I directly felt how the eucalyptus clears my head of any unnecessary thoughts. However, my cleared mind was again fixated on the perfect text, which I could not achieve in any way. |
Result | Written 20% of imperfect text |
I think oils will help to work on tasks that require increased concentration attention |
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Not suitable if time is running out |
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Efficiency | 1 of 5 |
I ruled and ruled, rewrote and rewrote, over and over, without end. If that's what concentration is, then I'll pass.
Advice: you set yourself a task - for example, write a paragraph of text. Then honestly, without being distracted and clenching your teeth, you spend ten minutes on this with a stopwatch. Then you wander around the room for two minutes, smoke, drink coffee, think about plans to emigrate to Bhutan. Then everything starts all over again. By the end of the hour, you have five paragraphs in your hands.
Advice: use a daily and weekly plan in conjunction with a 45/15 system (45 minutes work, 15 minutes rest).
Since it is now the middle of the week, I have a weekly plan with today by the end of the week.
What's happened | This is practically what I started my two weeks of experiments with. From the first day I write the schedule for the day, but I didn’t do the schedule for the week before. It turned out to be in vain. If you could see all the tasks for the week earlier, then it would be possible to plan for the day. Perhaps you wouldn't have to move the same thing every day a day ahead. I scattered the cases according to the plan and clearly saw what was most important and what was still suffering. It turned out that there is plenty of time for everything, and even more than necessary. The thought appeared: “what if I unconsciously felt that there was more time than cases, and therefore I was distracted, filling these voids instead of inventing more things for myself” |
Result | Everything was sorted out, the plan for the day was completed by 90%. Good quality |
Convenient, clear, understandable, accessible and there is plenty of time for everything |
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It's embarrassing that there are so many long breaks. It's a bit embarrassing, but maybe I'll get used to it |
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Efficiency | 4 out of 5 |
Advice: put a clock on your desktop, preferably ticking. They will symbolize the passing of time.
Finding a desk clock with a walking hand was not easy, but now I have one.
It reminded me of the clock that hung in every classroom in our school. Then we waited for the hated 45 minutes to pass, but now we have to wait eight hours. It's terribly depressing!
Advice: It is very important to develop a proactive thinking aimed at efficiency. The basis of such thinking is the understanding that "I am the cause of everything that happens to me" and "I determine my own result." Before completing a task, you can ask yourself: am I not able to do this? Why and why am I distracted?
To be proactive means to be aware of your deepest values and goals, to act in accordance with your life principles regardless of conditions and circumstances. For example, we do not like work, we feel that we are underestimated, we are tired and want to go on vacation, work seems meaningless, etc.
What's happened | I began to think in this vein: “OK, I determine my own result. I really know how long it takes me to complete a task. Moreover, I actually know why I do it and for what. I can be more efficient and productive." Blah blah blah On reflection, I came to the conclusion that underlying causes I have no. Nothing prevents me from working harder and better. After spending about an hour thinking about this, I set to work. Oddly enough, she worked more productively and was practically not distracted (that is, she was distracted, but during her legal breaks) |
Result | Surprised me, because this psychological bullshit had an effect on me. The plan was completed by 90% (everything just did not have time). It is important to periodically recall the conclusions drawn. |
Helps to recognize the problem, understand its cause and try to solve it |
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For one time |
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Efficiency | 4 out of 5 |
Advice: declare your actions and come up with a punishment for not meeting your goals.
What's happened | I wrote a contract by hand, in which I promised myself to finish this article on time, and signed it. She posted this on her favorite social network: “I solemnly promise to finish the article on how not to be distracted when working, no later than the sixth of August. If I do not attach a print screen of the sent letter within the specified period, I will buy any book to anyone who notices its absence. Almost immediately, four people liked it, two even sent me specific wishes for books Greed and excitement motivated me in an extraordinary way. I immediately sat down to work with the feeling that I would hit my head, but no one would ever get either Metro 2035 or John Lennon's letter from me. |
Result | With special zeal, I finished the article on time |
Very motivating and inspiring |
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Suitable only for large tasks or deadlines |
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Efficiency | 4 out of 5 |
Epilogue
There is a different way for every task. After the experiment, I still use ManicTime, weekly and daily schedule + tomato technique, and will also use a public statement. For me, these things turned out to be productive, but I decided not to stop and keep looking. perfect way no distractions. When I find it, I'll whistle.
Margarita Smurova
12.04.2016 | 709
Can't concentrate on work? Are you constantly switching to something? We will show you how to focus and increase productivity.
According to statistics, we spend from a third to half of our working time not on execution. official duties. We drink tea, chat with colleagues, surf the Internet - we do a lot of things, but we just don’t work.
And then we have to stay in the office until deep night or taking work home for the weekend because we didn't have time to do everything we needed to do. Familiar?
To avoid this scenario and start working productively, just follow our tips.
Plan your time
It is impossible to come to work by 8 am and work until 5 pm, being distracted only by lunch strictly from 13 to 14 o'clock. Each of us has hours in which we are most alert and productive, and those in which we can only stare at the monitor with a blurred look. For the most important and complex cases, it is necessary to choose time intervals of the first type.
If you're not thinking well in the morning, put off major projects for the evening instead of beating yourself up for not being able to focus.
Sort information on the Internet
It often happens that it’s useful to look for an answer to a working question, but woke up after an hour and a half of reading Wikipedia or a feed of friends in social network. To avoid this situation, use the " parental control”, which is available in any browser. Blacklist all potentially addictive sites, turn off Skype if you don't need it for work.
Turn off notifications on your phone
Even more effective is to put it in flight mode. App notifications and messages from friends should not distract you from work. The same goes for phone calls: talk only if we are talking about life and death.
Move away from colleagues
Very often, excessively talkative colleagues interfere with productive work. They ask for your help, tell jokes, invite you to drink coffee, always at the very moment when you finally caught the elusive thought and got to work.
You can ignore them with the help of headphones. Turn on the music that sets you up for work, and enjoy: you can’t hear conversations, the work process has begun, you look extremely busy man. If that doesn't work, tell your co-workers honestly and politely that you don't have time to talk yet. In extreme cases, load them with work so that there is not even a minute left for you.
Break tasks into small pieces
It is much more difficult to cover one large task than many small ones. Use this principle at work. Each big project split into smaller ones. This will help you focus and not miss anything.
Get distracted from time to time
Do not strive to bring your attentiveness and perseverance to the absolute. Periodic distractions only improve your productivity and develop creative thinking. If you feel like you have an irresistible urge to look at cats on the Internet, do it, but limit yourself to 5-10 minutes.
Try these techniques and you will notice that it is not so difficult to work effectively.
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Often, even in the service, it is not possible to escape from worldly worries, experiences, dreams. Sometimes you realize that behind your vain thoughts you missed the Trisagion, the reading of the Gospel, the Eucharistic canon. Naturally, after such a trip to the temple there is a feeling of dissatisfaction, guilt before God. Is it possible to cope with such distraction? We asked Archpriest Konstantin OSTROVSKII, Rector of the Dormition Church in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, about this.
“Father Konstantin, why is it that even during the most beautiful and joyful service the mind is no, no, and even distracted by ordinary everyday worries? Can you train yourself not to be distracted? Are there any special tricks?
- Not techniques, but the experience of the holy fathers, transmitted both orally, from the teacher to the students, and in writing. It would seem - the saints, that's who was attached to God with all his heart! But even they had to struggle with their passions, try to focus on prayer. We are attached to many things, our heart is turned very little to God. It is not surprising that during worship we are constantly distracted by something. Yes, many parishioners complain about this at confession. And it's good that they complain. So people want to pray. But we should not expect that we will overcome absent-mindedness and daydreaming tomorrow - one cannot cope with passions so quickly! Many try to give vows: "It's in last time From now on, I will come to the service and pray for two hours.” Such confidence speaks not of determination, but rather of ignorance of oneself, of a misunderstanding of one's spiritual state. Look at the rhythm people are living in now. All week they are absorbed in vanity, work and household chores, force themselves to read the morning and evening rule. It is not surprising that in the temple the mind is occupied with extraneous things. There is no need to lose heart, as some do, scold yourself, get angry - this is false humility, it only interferes with prayer. Understanding that you often do not pray in the service is a reason for repentance, but not despair. And how to change, not to be distracted, the holy fathers teach. The Monk Macarius of Optina said that it is impossible to devote one's soul to vanity all day long, and having risen to the rule of prayer, to concentrate on God. It is necessary all your life, to try to devote the most ordinary things to God, then even during the rule the mind will be turned to Him. St. Theophan the Recluse also advised to comprehend any business spiritually. And job responsibilities you can do for the glory of God, and household chores. If we do everything out of vanity (and dinner for the family can be prepared out of vanity), it is unlikely that we will be able to distract ourselves from worldly worries even in the temple. And the Monk Ambrose of Optina advised reading the Jesus Prayer during the service.
— And it does not distract from worship?
- Can be distracting. If you read and think that you are an ascetic, and stichera, troparia, litanies are for the weak, this is pride on the verge of prelest. But when a person realizes that, due to weakness, he cannot join in the conciliar prayer, stay in it, and begins to read short prayers, this helps to gather himself, and he simultaneously reads the Jesus Prayer and hears what is happening at the service. Psychologically, this is a paradox, but other laws operate here, spiritual ones. And not only during the reading of the Jesus Prayer, but also when, for example, you pray for your loved ones, for their healing from illness, for giving them faith, if they are unbelievers, for resolving other difficult life situations. But it is you who pray, and do not indulge in thoughts. If during the service you are carried away by thoughts about the illness of the parents or the child, about the troubles at work - there is no prayer, the mind has gone aside. But if you silently pray to God to heal you, help you not to be left without work, enlighten your teenage son, save him from temptations ... About any good deed, let it be earthly, worldly, you can and should pray. And during such a prayer, a person simultaneously participates in conciliar prayer - in worship. In the same way, altar servers and parishioners who help read notes on health and repose can keep up with the service. Because reading notes is also a prayer. And prayer does not distract from worship. If you get distracted during the service, go into your thoughts, dreams, you should not be killed about this, but catch yourself as soon as possible, ask God for forgiveness for your weakness, absent-mindedness and return to prayer.
“Some people think that if you can’t pray the whole service, it’s a sin to stand it, it’s more honest to come to part of the service.
- And what, all this “part of the service” they pray without being distracted? Probably not. If the soul is not turned all the time to God, then even having come to the service for 15 minutes, a person will be distracted for some time. Morning and evening prayer rules, visiting the temple of God - here Primary School prayers. Of course, no one can be forced. Not every newcomer can be told: from now on, be kind to come every Saturday to Vespers, and on Sunday morning to the beginning of the Liturgy. Some are not immediately ready to do even this simple rule. In my youth, I almost took my mother away from faith. He himself was then a neophyte, he came to work in the temple as an altar boy, and immediately began insistently demanding from her that she follow all the rules. So, under my pressure, she even stopped taking communion for a while, she was so disgusted with everything! It was not the Church that became disgusted, of course, but the image of the Church that I created! Be careful with people. A person came to the liturgy - even during the reading of the Eucharistic canon, even to take communion - but he came, voluntarily, at the call of his heart! The next time will come early if we treat him with love and understanding, with indulgence for his weakness. But this is precisely weakness - you can’t elevate it to the norm on the grounds that you are distracted. Then you will certainly never learn to pray.
- And what about the children? How not to go too far when accustoming a child to prayer, and at the same time instill discipline in him?
“Children must be treated with special care. There can't be any general council, because everything depends on each child and on the characteristics of the family (whether it has been churched for a long time, whether both parents are believers, etc.). I didn’t take my sons to vigils until they were ten years old, but I tried to bring them to the liturgy as often as possible. And some, until a certain age, cannot stand the entire service or even every Sunday is too much work for them. But such things should be decided by the parents themselves, consulting with a confessor who knows the family well. Formal implementation of some standards most often does not lead to good.
- Some bring with them the texts of the service and stand with them throughout the service. open book. Does it help you focus or is it distracting?
- Again, everything is individual. An adult is able to understand for himself, it is more convenient for him to see the text of prayers or perceive the service by ear. When in some parishes they force parishioners to have the text of the service with them, this, I think, is wrong. To advise is a personal matter of conscience and experience of everyone who undertakes to advise. But you don’t need to force it, otherwise, as it were, excessive jealousy and excessive trust in your experience do not break, so to speak, souls.
- When a person first comes to the service, he does not know how to behave, and usually starts to act like everyone else. And they often do it wrong. For example, they turn around after the deacon or priest when they go around the temple with a censer, after communion before drinking, they turn around to face the altar and bow. Is it necessary to blindly imitate, even if you do not know church etiquette?
- Yes, they will figure it out! No need to attach importance to such minor things. And if a person taking the first steps immediately begins to find out whether the parishioners are behaving correctly, he will still not understand anything, but he will learn to despise people. I was baptized at the age of 27, and before that I was only two or three times in the temple for a few minutes. And almost immediately he became a full-time altar boy on Presnya. Naturally, he had no idea how to behave in the service, when to make the sign of the cross. It was very hard to force myself to kneel - pride got in the way. But in order to merge into a new church environment, previously alien to me, I tried to repeat after everyone. And got in in two days. Again, it all depends on the internal mood. You can repeat after everyone out of hypocrisy, and in your soul despise other parishioners. It is clear that this is a sinful state. But if a person realizes that he knows nothing, does not want to embarrass other people and attract attention to himself, and therefore does it like everyone else, this is normal.
Unfortunately, often not only newcomers, but also people who have been going to church for many years, getting on different reasons to another temple, they begin to pay attention to parish customs, to condemn. Well, what does it matter if the parishioners turn during the censing after the priest, whether they repeat the prayers before the sacrament aloud after the priest? It is because of such trifles that a person begins to condemn everyone, including the rector, but forgets about prayer. And when he catches himself, everyone around is to blame, but not himself. Let's not look hard at others, but rather take care of our souls, otherwise we will never start praying.
Work in the office is associated with constant distractions - phone calls, the presence of chatty colleagues, the presence of the Internet. It is generally accepted that the Internet belongs to the second place in this list. In the first place, the undisputed leader is the chatter of colleagues, phone calls take an honorable third place, there are also other distractions that affect work efficiency, there are quite a few of them, and among them the laughter of colleagues is among the leaders.
More than 90% of office workers are distracted by certain factors, half of these workers believe that they will definitely stop being distracted if they workplace will be in a separate room. It is difficult to say that this will actually be the case, because employee productivity already working in their own offices also remains far from desired - they are still distracted. At this time, they pay the most attention to the Internet - free access to the network distracts 40% of the owners of a secluded personal space, and almost 30% of them write abstract letters that are not related to their main work. But what can you do to avoid distractions while you work?
Let's bring 7 tips to stop being distracted at work, following which will help to avoid unproductive waste of time. Each piece of advice is a simple rule that is not difficult to follow, but if any of them seem difficult to you, then ask yourself - are you too lazy?
First - Punctuality with respect to own time
Define for each task exact time for execution and try to complete it by the deadline. Usually we set ourselves not specific, but abstract goals, they could be designated as “will do today”, “during work”, “to do during the day”. With such an attitude, any person is sure to do at least something, but he will not have time to do it, and there are at least two reasons for this.
First, the poor organization of one's own time.
There is no specificity in the above formulations, thus, when the brain is set for a number of small things "to do during the day", for him this means that each of the cases should be done not now, but in general today. And since the matter is small and does not require many hours of work, it means that it can be done a little later, because there is still time before the end of the day - "I'll have time", visits the head "brilliant" thought, and at this moment various distractions begin to dominate. As an example, "letters that don't work", "chatting with employees" and others, every time something "important" of distractions steals your time. In order to, you need to reduce the value and number of distractions, ideally, get rid of them completely.
If we overload ourselves with work, then we get the same effect as with poor organization, that is, we definitely do not have time for something. See if you are trying too much at the same time.
In both cases, positive is not observed. To get out of this situation, determine for each task a specific time for execution - 10-20 or 30 minutes, determine approximately how much time you need to complete a specific task and try to meet this deadline. If the task is large, break it into parts and determine a specific amount of time for each. Make a promise to yourself that you will do each piece of work in the allotted time and do it. When you start to keep up, you will have satisfaction from what you have done and the desire to do even more will intensify.
Second, the cleanliness of the workplace
No foreign objects should be on the desktop at all. The efficiency of work is higher, the fewer distractions.
Tips for tidying up your workplaceSource:
Your workspace should not contain anything that will distract from current work. When you are working on a task, then only those items that are necessary to complete this particular task can be on the table, everything else will be superfluous. If your task must be performed on a computer, then there should be nothing on the table besides the monitor, keyboard and mouse, if this cannot be done 100%, then the items that remain on the table are best placed in the farthest corner.
Third - Priorities
Whatever we do, according to the importance of our affairs are divided approximately in the ratio. This means that the 20% are the most important things that lead to concrete results, and the 80% are the less important things that can be done second. If you do not do things related to 20%, then the desired result will not be achieved, therefore, these tasks should be considered a priority and performed in the first place. The ability to stop being distracted at work while doing the most important tasks, will characterize you as a responsible and promising employee who can be assigned, including managerial roles, it will be easier for you to move up the career ladder.
Priority tasks are fairly easy to determine.- they all look difficult, and they want to be postponed for later. But just when doing priorities noticeable movement towards the goal.
Fourth - protect yourself from unnecessary noise
When there are a lot of employees in the office, they generate additional noise, these are conversations, laughter, walking, working office equipment, phone calls - everything that will certainly distract from work. To avoid noise, you can cover your ears with headphones, or move to a remote, if the authorities allow, the quietest place.
Fifth - do one thing at a time and do not get distracted
In office turmoil it is difficult to concentrate, attention is scattered and we, constantly distracted, take on one thing, then another, and in a moment of calm we try to do several things at the same time. Stop being distracted at work can focus on one specific task.
Set a clear goal for yourself, let's say this: “in the next 15 minutes, I am writing a report and nothing else”, and, by all means, strive to achieve the goal. Whoever tries to distract you, of course, except for the authorities, with a minimum of words and movements, make it clear that you are very busy and at the same time perform only the specific task that you have set for yourself.
15 minutes are over, breathe a sigh of satisfaction and proceed to the next 15 minutes of focusing on another specific task. Thus, you will achieve greater efficiency than doing everything at once.
Sixth - breaks in work for unloading
A person is not able to work tirelessly, because even lifeless machines cannot work continuously, so we need rest. Rest from one task is to switch to another. If all your tasks must be done on a computer, then you need to organize your time in such a way that the body is not in one position for more than 50 minutes, that is, you need to take breaks with a change in position. For example, go to drink water, report to the boss, or just stand for a minute near the desktop. This impromptu one-minute break can be used to answer a colleague's question while you were working on a specific task and couldn't be distracted.
The efficiency of work is increased due to the fact that physical movement accelerates the blood, which brings fresh nutrition to the brain, which contributes to the speed of reaction and clarity of thought. Therefore, take short breaks, but with the obligatory physical movement.
Seventh - stay healthy
Contributes to good performance good health which is inextricably linked to good health. A lot is said on this topic, but the main thing is not to forget the basic postulates of the theory healthy lifestyle lives, which include:
Healthy sleep
Diverse food
Physical activity
Absence bad habits.
Sleep and wake mode.
Exercise 1:
Imagine what happens if you don't read the right book. Present the picture in negative tones. Now imagine what happens after you read the book. How the world will be a better place.
Exercise 2:
Clear your mind of debris. Enter the state of not thinking.
How not to be distracted while reading - the fight against noise
Reading productivity is greatly affected by external noise. External noises, both single and continuous, have a very large negative impact on reading productivity. It will no longer be just about lowering the level of attention when reading, as it was above, but about switching attention from text to another object.
Very often external noises distract from reading: they annoy or, on the contrary, carry away to such an extent that the book is sometimes put aside. We take special pleasure in diverting our attention from a book (and are ready to do so at the slightest opportunity) if we do not like the material we are working on. Constantly being distracted by external noises, the reader gets used to working with relaxed attention, cultivating inattention in himself.
External noise factor and its influence on text memorization
The factor of external noise while working with a book is objective (after all, we cannot change, for example, the noise conditions in the reading room), but also subjective at the same time: you can change yourself by learning not to react to noise as a hindrance when reading. In order to “not listen to noises”, you need to learn not to evaluate the noises that you hear, not to process them.
If noise behind the wall distracts you from reading, you can no longer concentrate and put the book aside. Try to turn on the TV, and it will distract you from the noises that have recently interfered, your irritation will be replaced by a pleasant state. You will forget about the noise that irritated you, get distracted from it, and even turning off the TV, you will not pay attention to the noise for some time, although it will continue. You can hear the noise, but not listen to it. Thus, the unpleasant was replaced by the pleasant. The temporary diversion of attention protected you from exposure to noise.
How to turn off external stimuli while reading books
One of the ways to switch off from extraneous noises, learn not to react to them while reading, is the tennis ball method, developed at the School of Rational Reading.
This method is based on the principle of double switching of attention. The tennis ball method, as practice shows, is universal: almost everyone who used it learns to be distracted from external noises and stop listening to them. If the reader has trained himself to automatism using the tennis ball method, then the fight against noise will be carried out already at a subconscious level, without distracting consciousness from understanding the content. readable text. It takes 1-3 seconds for such a reader to get rid of annoying noise while reading. After that, all attention is again focused on reading.
Fast reading. How not to get distracted while reading
To get more full view about the technique of speed reading, sign up for face-to-face courses, however, you can learn to speed read on your own.
Improve your reading technique and you'll spend less time researching documents. Follow the tips and you will increase your productivity.
Types of reading
- In excess of slow reading. persecuted detailed study document - for example, the study of legal documents.
- Slow reading - for example, a work of art.
- Pre-reading. When you need to get an idea of what you read
- Speed reading.
How to scroll text in speed reading mode
By acting in accordance with this scheme, you will reduce the time it takes to find the information you need.
- Read the introduction carefully.
- Look through the chapters that interest you from the fifth to the tenth. Pay attention to the examples and highlights in the text.
- Review the passages of text that you found important.
- Read the subject index. Understand the thesaurus and concepts covered in the book. Think about how the content of the book is similar to the content of previously studied documents.
- Write a review on the text or a letter to the author.
- Read the author's examples. How many examples are repeated? Does it appear that the author of the text borrowed the content of the document
- Review the introduction to each chapter, read the last page of each chapter.
- Read the title. Make up general idea about the content of the book before reading it.
If you are studying a reference text, then you need to study selected places. Therefore, the described reading strategy is very useful.
How to read documents and articles
First, you should look at the places in the text where the conclusions are indicated. And then read the document. In this case, the essence of the article will be clear from the first paragraph.
- Study the presentation of the text, the overview, the first few paragraphs, the introductory part.
- Study the conclusion or a few final paragraphs.
- Study carefully the places that seemed to you the most important.
Scanning reading. Using the subconscious mind while reading.
When a person reads quickly, he understands not individual words, but phrases at once.
scan the page with a diagonal eye movement. As soon as you feel that you have found something interesting, then move on to regular reading.
Field notes.
Take notes while reading. Write questions to the author of the text. You are not wasting time. Thanks to the notes and formulated questions, the studied text is fixed in the mind. If the document and new information is thought out, then it is not required to return to it anymore.
In the process of reading a book, mark important places with a marker, underline key words.
Look for Alternatives to Reading
"TENNIS BALL" method
One of the most common obstacles to in-depth reading is external noise. The conversation of neighbors in the reading room, the crying of a child in the train, the sound of a working TV behind the wall makes it difficult to immerse yourself in the meaning of what you are reading, especially if you have to read something necessary, but not very interesting. As a rule, attempts to ignore external noise are not only unsuccessful, but, on the contrary, lead to the fact that after a long struggle with noise, the reader begins to analyze what is heard, distracting from reading. ("They talk about illnesses all the time, as if there is nothing else to talk about!", "Why do parents not pay attention to a crying child!" etc.). Gradually, the reader's irritation grows, and he already has to cope with his own condition.
Exists effective method combating such interference with reading is the "tennis ball" method.
The "tennis ball" method is based on the use of certain processes occurring in the human brain.
One can imagine the human brain in the form of a platform on which bonfires are burning - foci of excitation caused by the analysis of various information that simultaneously enters the brain: the reader comprehends the content of the paragraph - this is a big fire (comprehension is given most of attention), it is hot in the room where the reading takes place - this is the second fire, but small, because. so little attention is paid to the perception of this that the reader almost does not feel elevated temperature. As dinner time approaches, another bonfire, associated with the feeling of hunger, appears and flares up more and more, and so on. Such small bonfires (small parts of attention) light up from all sensations and thoughts associated with clothing, footwear, comfortable posture, lighting, physical or mental fatigue, etc. the desire to concentrate, nevertheless switches attention to noise, being distracted from reading. So in this moment the main attention switches from text comprehension to noise as the main focus of brain excitation. In this case, the following conditions are met:
- The more actively thought processes, the greater is the total amount of parts of attention devoted to the simultaneous analysis of all stimuli (external and internal), i.e. topics more number bonfires.
- An increase in attention to some stimuli is accompanied by a decrease in attention to others (some kindling fires take the energy and fire of others, reducing them).
- That part of attention grows (that fire flares up), which is directed to the actual event at the moment. For example, if while reading you remember that now there is a program on TV that you definitely wanted to watch, then success further reading will depend on what you consider more important (relevant) at the moment.
Therefore, if a small fire (corresponding in magnitude to irritation due to interfering noise) appears on a site with a large fire (caused by reading comprehension), and this fire is not extinguished, then it may flare up, absorbing energy from a large fire, and even can extinguish a large fire.To prevent this from happening, the "tennis ball" method is used.
The essence of the method is as follows: having caught himself involuntarily beginning to listen to an external stimulus, the reader mentally:
- He puts a spacesuit on his head;
- Imagines audible noise in the form of tennis balls flying from noise sources;
- Imagines the bouncing of balls hitting the spacesuit and hears the sound of clatter from the blows.
All this must be done while reading, without ceasing to comprehend the content of the text. As a result, part of the attention gradually shifts from external stimulus(noise) on tennis balls, and then on reading comprehension, i.e. there is a double switch of attention. As soon as you begin to train, guided by this method, in the very first stages of work you will feel positive changes.
The "tennis ball" method (BTS) works as follows: with the appearance of a small but dangerous fire (i.e., as soon as distraction from reading by external noise begins), the reader artificially creates a new and sufficiently large fire caused by the tennis balls bouncing off the spacesuit ( i.e. considerable attention begins to be paid to the suggestion of the idea of a spacesuit and the balls bouncing off it, as well as the suggestion that the reader hears the sound of their clatter). As a result of the relevance of this process at the moment, a new fire begins to grow due to the pumping of energy from other fires. This leads to a decrease and then attenuation of the fire, corresponding to external noise.
And at the same time, the fire corresponding to the comprehension of what is being read will decrease, which is undesirable, but forced. After adjusting the strength of the fires for some time, the reader consciously focuses on the process of reading (i.e., begins to inflate the fire, corresponding to the assimilation of what is being read, at the expense of the fire, corresponding to the ideas of the spacesuit and the ball). Thus, after some time, attention shifts more and more to comprehension of what is read and less and less remains on tennis balls, and even more so on external noise.
Thus, although the regulation of foci of excitation occurs in the brain at the subconscious level, nevertheless, through training, practicing certain exercises, you can achieve switching the main attention to the object you need.
The "tennis ball" method allows you to:
- Switch attention from the main stimulus to worked out ideas until the comprehension of the stimulus stops.
- To transfer the attention focused on these representations to the main work:
To use the ITS, you must first work out the ability to quickly and easily call:
- Sensation of spacesuit around head;
- Representation of tennis balls flying towards the spacesuit from a noise source;
- Representation of balls hitting and bouncing off the spacesuit;
- Perception of the sound of the clatter of balls hitting the spacesuit.
This can be learned step by step as follows:
I stage
Learn to quickly evoke and sustain the feeling of a spacesuit around your head by repeatedly imagining that spacesuit in your mind. The suit or shell can be of any color, size and shape, choose for yourself what you like best, but there are two indispensable conditions: it must be transparent and light.
II stage
Learn to imagine tennis balls flying from a source of noise and dissolving in your head. Balls should be light, any color and small in size. They must fly slowly. As soon as one ball, having reached the head, dissolves in it, another ball immediately flies out of the noise source. (For example, if readers at the next table disturb you with their conversations, then you need to imagine balls flying out of the place where these people are sitting). Where and how exactly these balls are born does not matter. The balls should fly out regardless of the volume of the noise and its frequency (for example, if the creak of the door interferes with you, then as soon as the next one is heard, you immediately imagine a ball flying from the door. After the ball dissolves in your head, you imagine the next ball flying from the same place, regardless of whether the door is currently creaking or not).
Stage III
Connect the two previous representations and add auditory sensations. you need to imagine the spacesuit and the balls flying out of the noise source, reaching the spacesuit and bouncing off it, and at the same time hear a clear clatter from the imaginary impact of the ball on the spacesuit. Next, follow the bouncing ball until it disappears at infinity and also imagine the flight of the next ball, etc.
You can not force the first balls to bounce, but pass them through the spacesuit and, only starting, for example, from the fifth, imagine their bouncing.
The first and second stages can be mastered alternately within two weeks. And only after you learn to clearly imagine the spacesuit and the balls separately, you can start combining them and train for another two weeks.
There are, of course, such readers who can work fruitfully even with any noise. Some of them even believe that it is better to read with music or with the radio or TV turned on.
Experts, based on experimental data, believe that everyone should work in the conditions to which he is accustomed. But still they are to achieve the greatest performance mental labor it is advised to create silence, but not absolute, but relative. A slight hum, the rustling of pages in the reading room (of course, in the absence of chatter at the next table) contributes to the best assimilation of the text. It is shown that it is more difficult to maintain attention in complete silence than with weak monotonous noise.
The ability to isolate attention from external noise may be another of your requirements for improving the culture of reading.
