Distraction is good
It depends on how you use it
Distraction is always considered as a problem. When you’re in a college, chatting with your crush distracts you from studying hard. And definitely, that semester may end with the big noise in your family. And the worst thing is when you want to be distracted from something like your pain or suffering, it’s difficult but when you want to focus, distraction is sitting next to you like your girlfriend.
When my 6 years old daughter slipped down on the floor while learning the skating at home and start crying, it is easy to distract her by talking about how her pet dog (a soft toy) sneakingly went into her toys room and playing alone in the night. Or waking her up every morning around 8 am asking about her dream while she is in sleep. No doubt it disturbs her but then shifting this talk to something interesting, “I seen a planet in the sky early morning today. It was looking like a sparkling star. Bingo! (in changed voice) do you know how to write sparkle in Kanji?”. Then she wakes up and replies, “He doesn’t remember, Papa.”
Distraction is neither good nor bad. It just shifts your attention.
But keep shifting the attention on many things in a short span is a problem.
There was a meeting post-lunch in my office to discuss the upcoming features. Our whole team was in the room with product owners and a few new faces. While the discussion was going on, I just realized someone messaged me on the phone. Well! I didn’t take the mobile out from the pocket but I was sure it is about the delivery of selfie-stick I ordered few days back. I always wanted to have that. But the meeting is currently important so I stopped thinking about that. Then I noticed the architecture of that room. Ah! I had missed what did the guys discussed in the starting. Now the whole conversation is useless for me.
Distraction doesn’t seem good. But
Why do we distract easily?
According to some studies, our attention span is in seconds and it is decreasing. So, now, you should stop blaming yourself if you are not able to focus on something.
Distraction may depend on your habits, surrounding or the content/meeting you’re going through. Hence, many companies take care of this while creating interesting content and marketing.
Your brain wants to run away from the tings where it needs to spend it’s more energy like in taking decisions. Hence, an entertainment video fetch your attention easily.
There are some factors which distract you easily
Interest
You never realize when a 2 hours 28 mins movie gets finished. You are still attached to know the truth behind the spinner top. Whereas, your other friend is checking his mobile continuously to reply to the messages from his girlfriend.
Stress
And your one more friend didn’t find the movies interesting at all as he is stressed about losing his job in the next 2 days.
Unfinished business
An employee who has an appraisal meeting next day, OR a wife waiting for the courier on the way to surprise her husband in an hour, OR a teacher alleged by the school management in the response of unpaid salary, might not be able to focus on other things until the things are settled, completed, or finished.
So, How to focus?
If this article is too long, you’ll probably lose focus like your study. So if you want to be more focused, divide your target in small achievable targets. Like, plan to study a topic instead of a complete chapter.
Pomodoro is a good technique that tells you to focus for 20–25 mins and then relax for 5 mins. No doubt, a thousand thoughts will come in your mind to distract you but you just note them down. Just note down WHAT not HOW or other detail. Like you’re thinking to buy a laptop, not it down but don’t search for the specification right now. Similarly, if you got a good idea for the seminar in the class, note it down instead of thinking what other things should be covered. At the end of the day, you might have a long distraction list. It’s OK. Go through that and finish the important one.
Let’s do it for 2–3 days. Now, shortlist by avoiding unnecessary distractions.
There are multiple ways to stop physical distractions like removing unnecessary applications from mobile, putting the mobile in zen mode, delete accounts from social sites, studying with mates or in the library etc. But I’m not discussing them as you’re already mature.
If TV is distracting you, switch it off. If you can’t switch it off then think that this is not TV who is disturbing you but you’re taking less interest in reading. Real life examples, practicals, writing articles or preparing something to teach someone else may increase your interest.
Remove physical distractions like some applications in your mobile, cigarette in your pocket, and magazines under your bed. Things that need your short attention for a short time, distract you most. Like TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and other social media platforms.
If you have to focus in a meeting then better to know the context of the meeting in advance. Go through the agenda in advance and do a little research if possible. When your mind will face something already known, it can focus more.
How to be distracted ?
Distraction is sometimes useful and helpful too. You lost your sibling and going through the trauma but you make a fake story of your some pain or difficult situation to distract your parents from that grief.
We all need a break.
Even an interesting story you’re watching in a movie hall gives you an interval.
Recently, many people lost their jobs during the Covid-19 lockdown on very short notice even of 2 days. No doubt, they’re worried until they get another job. I have recently experienced a case where a lady teacher was threatened by the school management when she asked for her unpaid salary. She would like to settle the situation as quickly as possible to rebound her normal daily life. I know many people who couldn’t settle for years after break up with their partners. It is not easy to come out from the pain you’re suffering or in a suffocate environment, you are.
When you’re already taking an interest, have some unfinished business, or attached with something emotionally, it is quite difficult to shift the focus on other things.
Thinking about something makes you think more
First, you need to stop thinking you don’t want to think about it. And it’ll not happen by forcing yourself not to think but making other things interesting. Remember what Sandeep Maheshwari told in his a live session, “close your eyes and don’t think about your mother”. The first thing you’ll see with your closed eyes is your mother. This is how our brain works.
If you have to shift your focus or focus on something, you need to increase interest in those things instead of working hard to remove focus from old things. You’ll have to cut from old running matters, leave the expectations, and leave rest on fate. You’ll have to accept that those things are not the part of your life anymore.
Multiple times, we keep wandering in the hall making the script in our mind for discussions with our supervisor for appraisal, or thinking what wrong we did in a broken relationship. We go through all possibilities then think again to refine them like we’re revising for exams. Better you make a note. Write down all your thoughts in the form of points NOT a story. Refine them but limit it to max 5 times. I wanted to say 3 actually. Now if you missed any point leave it for your fate. Accept the loss and move on in your life.
In Last
I’m not expert to give any guidance or to solve your problems but I’m trying to clarify them more. So you can find the solution yourself because you know you better than me.