Page 34 - Tracy Anderson Magazine | Spring 2021 Issue

minutes for a total of 96 times every day. And a 2018 study entirely. Get into the habit of silencing your phone when-
from Udemy found that a majority of employees claim ever you’re in a meeting, on a work call, in a training ses-
technology is their top distraction at work. sion, or tackling an important project, so you’ll be more
present and attentive.
When we receive messages from our electronics all day,
it’s difficult not to give in to the temptation of responding If you need your smartphone to complete a task, consider
to the constant pings. But when we divert our attention to moving enticing apps to the third or fourth page of your
a time-sucking website or app, we become less engaged, phone screen, so you’ll be less likely to click on them and
more fatigued, and unable to fully concentrate on the task waste time mindlessly scrolling.
we were previously working on.
For those whose kryptonite is opening new tabs, install a
Shifting from one task to another requires more energy, program or browser extension that manages your Internet
so when we spend most of our day going from Facebook usage. Stay Focused for Google Chrome is one application
to Twitter to e-mails, we become drained and depleted, so that keeps your Internet browsing in check. If you spend
our output suffers. Brain fatigue also makes it difficult to more time on a website than the amount of time you’ve
regulate our emotions and behaviors and to remain patient been allotted, the program will ban you from using that site
and motivated. for the rest of the day.

Stanford News reported that multitasking rather than fo- Instead of installing a separate program on your computer,
cusing on one single task at a time impedes our attention, you can also exit out of all unnecessary tabs except for the
memory, and organization. So juggling multiple tasks on web page you’re working on in order to finish an assign-
our devices tends to waste time and keep us busy without ment more quickly and thoroughly.
actually accomplishing anything.
Self-awareness is always an important trait, even when it
Now, with many of us working at home during this global comes to productivity and Internet usage. Whenever you
pandemic, we have to hold ourselves accountable to meet find yourself refreshing your Instagram app or searching
our deadlines and manage our time while battling digital
for the latest fashion trends on Google, identify the thoughts
NOTIFICA TIONS distractions. It’s more important now than ever to find a and feelings that compelled you to distract yourself in the
first place. Over time, you’ll be able to understand the
balance with technology, so we can attend to our import-
thought patterns and emotions that made you prone to the
ant obligations without letting the Internet consume our
TO ENABLE FOCUS lives. distraction. Acknowledging the behavior makes it easier to
shift your focus to the present.
When we use technology mindfully and intentionally, we
can actually boost our productivity. Breaking our negative Last and most important, take regular breaks throughout
technology habits and redirecting our focus to work starts your day. Humans are more productive when we step
Creating balance with technology. with establishing parameters to limit the distractions. away from our computers every now and then. A 2018
study from DeskTime found that the best approach to the
For starters, turning off push notifications on your phone work/rest cycle is working for 52 minutes straight and then
is an excellent way to minimize distractions, so you won’t taking a break for 17 minutes. Working for shorter periods
There’s no question that our generation is addicted to tech- and mobility of our digital devices, we can now respond feel tempted to pick up your device when you’re in the of time will help you resist the urge to rely on technolo-
nology. Reaching into our pockets or purses to check our instantly to messages, collaborate with co-workers at any middle of a task. Instead of reacting to every notification, gy as an interruption, according to the Learning Center at
recent text messages or stay up to date with the latest news time or any place, and continuously stay informed about you can practice time batching, which is the process of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
has become second nature to us. It feels almost as natural industry news and work-related matters. grouping similar tasks together and completing them all at
as breathing. once. For example, you can respond to e-mails first thing Consider spending your rest periods stretching, meditat-
Technology itself isn’t the problem, but our compulsive us- in the morning or right after lunch and check social media ing, calling a friend, or walking around the block. Taking
We spend our days glued to our devices. Whether we’re age is what’s hurting us. during your lunch break or after work. breaks will give you the chance to move your body, get a
waiting in line at a grocery store or sitting alone outdoors, change of scenery, compose your thoughts, and come back
we turn to our phones for comfort, connection, and a way Our smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices Setting a timer to work on time-sensitive projects with im- reenergized and refocused.
to fill our time. But our toxic relationship with technology are constantly bombarding us with text messages, e-mail pending deadlines is also an effective way to manage your
is taking a toll on our personal and professional lives, im- notifications, and social media alerts that demand our at- time. When you set a timer and see the clock ticking, you’ll Our smartphones, computers, and tablets provide us with
peding our mental health and our performance at work. tention and drain our energy, making it difficult to focus Joshua Fuller, courtesy unsplash.com be less inclined to waste time and more likely to be self-dis- many advantages and disadvantages. But when we eval-
on the task at hand. ciplined. uate our technology consumption and usage habits and
Of course, the Internet has unlocked countless opportu- implement better strategies to avoid distractions, we’ll
nities for us to operate more efficiently and effectively, According to new research by global tech-care company Another foolproof way to maintain your focus is putting improve our focus, mood, and energy levels, create better
especially at work. With the accessibility, convenience, Asurion, Americans check their phones once every 10 your phone on airplane mode, or better yet, turning it off work products, and feel more accomplished and fulfilled. ■

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