Distractions are sneaky little blighters that keep us from getting stuff done, so this week I'm diving into what's really going on when we keep going off task. Whether you're distracted by the phone on your desk, the endless tabs open on your computer or the noise going on in your noggin, I share practical tips to help you stay focused on what really matters.

Listen to last week's episode, 'Why you're putting off the things you care about most' here

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Welcome to Unfrazzle, a podcast for solo business owners with a big vision who are ready for a kinder, more sustainable approach to productivity.

I'm Louise Miller and each week I share bite size insights to help you step away from the hustle, stop faffing and stay focused so you can make your brilliant ideas happen and make a bigger impact in the world.

And before we dive into today's episode, if you enjoy what I'm sharing here on Unfrazzle and you'd like to support the podcast, you can buy me a cuppa by going to buymeacoffee.com louisemiller and making a one off donation.

I'll pop a link to that in the show notes.

Okay, grab yourself a cuppa and let's get started.

I'm often asked why, as humans, and particularly as humans who are running our own businesses and wearing all the hats, we find it so hard to stay on task.

Why are we so easily distracted?

And as with everything, the answer isn't straightforward.

If you caught last week's episode, I talked about what's going on when you keep putting off the things that you care the most about.

I explained that when the stakes feel high and you're doing something that carries emotional weight, your subconscious often isn't on board because one of its jobs is to protect you from danger.

Your conscious mind might want to do the thing, but your subconscious is worried for your safety and so it steps in to distract you.

And it's annoying, isn't it?

But it's also neuroscience, so try not to give yourself a hard time.

It's not as simple as having more willpower.

It goes deeper than that, and in last week's episode I shared more about that and gave you some ideas that you can play with that will help you rewire your brain so that your subconscious knows that you're safe.

So if you haven't already, please do go and listen to that one.

I will pop a link in the show notes, but today I want to keep things a little more practical, a little more surface level, and share some other ideas that might help you notice distractions and prevent them from completely derailing your day.

So those distractions that happen in the moment, things like reaching for your phone when you're supposed to be writing a blog, or scrolling LinkedIn when you're meant to be working on your latest offer.

Those things often happen when you're bored, or when something starts to feel difficult or uncomfortable, or when you're tired.

So think about it for a second.

I'm sure there are things you do that you get totally engrossed in, where you are completely in flow and where checking your phone, looking at your LinkedIn, looking at your Instagram doesn't even cross your mind.

For me, that's when I'm doing pottery.

So I know that I'm capable of not being distracted.

But the moment something feels tricky or I get a bit bored, or when I'm looking for a dopamine hit, I reach for my phone.

And those distractions can seem harmless enough, but they really do slow you down.

And as I said, I'm going to talk about some practical things that you can do to avoid those distractions that keep tripping you up.

Some of these are going to feel very obvious, but I think they also come under the category of things we know would help us, but that we don't actually do.

So consider this your friendly reminder of how helpful they are.

So first, let's talk about your phone.

Turn off your notifications.

I know we're all bored of hearing it, but turn off your notifications.

And if you're brave, remove the apps that distract you.

So I don't have any social media or my work email on my phone because their pull is too strong.

And instead of relying on willpower to keep me off those apps, I just made the choice to remove them completely.

Now, if that's not an option for you, you might consider burying them somewhere in a folder on your phone so that you create a few extra step steps to access them.

And the obstacle that you're putting in place there might just be enough for you to resist when you're trying to focus on something important.

You could always play with putting your phone in another room.

I think there's been research actually around even putting your phone in a drawer in the room that you're in affects your focus because you know that it's there.

So putting the phone in a completely different room just again creates that bit of distance if you have trouble with with your phone, like I tend to.

So now let's think about your computer.

How many tabs do you have open right now?

How many documents, and how many of those things are related to the thing you're actually working on?

So again, I know this is annoying, but I would love for you to close things down and in particular come out of your email, close down your social media tabs, because being able to see that you have a new message just arrived is way too tempting.

And will the world really end if you don't see that thing the moment it comes in?

Usually these things are not urgent, are they?

But the other thing I just want to speak to as well is that distractions are not just about the things that are going on in the world around us, right?

We can also be distracted by what's going on in our own heads.

So if that is something you struggle with, if thoughts about other things you need to do pop into your head and you're so worried that you might forget what that is, that you stop what you're doing and take action on those things instead, you might like to create a distractions list.

So have a piece of paper next to your desk, or a note on your phone if you prefer, and write those distractions down as they occur.

And then you can give yourself some time to work through that list later.

So once you know you won't forget and you've got a way of catching those distracting thoughts, distracting to do's, it will be way easier for you to stay focused on the thing you were meant to be doing.

It's also worth noting, I think, that if you have adhd, you might actually need a low level distraction to help you stay focused.

So something that's running in the background, like a podcast or some music, you'll know what's best for you.

Something that gives your brain just enough stimulation that it doesn't go off searching for that stimulation somewhere else, give your fabulous ADHD brain a distraction on purpose to help you stay on task.

Just keep that in mind.

You know, me telling you to close everything down might not be the right thing for you if you have adhd.

And as I mentioned earlier, sometimes we reach for distraction because we're tired.

So I've lost count of how many times I've wasted time scrolling my LinkedIn feed, not really seeing what I'm looking at, because I'm tired and I need a break.

So take the break, get up and walk away.

Glazing over and staring at my screen is not going to refresh me or give me my energy back, whereas standing in the garden for a few minutes or making a cup of tea might.

So if you're tired, take a break.

Now, there's something I haven't mentioned yet which underpins all of this, and without which you don't stand a chance in the battle against distraction.

And that is intention.

And I know that word is everywhere right now.

I use it all the time and I'm getting the sense that it's starting to get on some people's nerves.

But without intention, you really are setting yourself up to fail.

So I would love for you to practice being intentional, to be really clear about what you are choosing to work on in any given moment and then doing your best to focus solely on that thing.

Get curious and pay attention.

Notice when you feel the urge to switch to something else.

Notice the discomfort of staying on task when things get boring, get difficult or uncomfortable.

Sit with that discomfort.

It will pass, and then carry on doing the thing you were meant to be doing and celebrate yourself for not falling into distraction.

Now, you won't always catch yourself before you end up on Instagram or in your inbox, but the more you practice noticing that urge to switch, the easier it gets.

And the very last thing I want to say that I want you to remember from all of this is that you are not a productivity robot.

You are a human and we can't expect to be 100% distraction free 100% of the time.

Mind wandering can be a good thing.

So please let go of any expectation to be a machine and allow yourself to be human.

And as always, I hope that this helps, particularly when you consider today's episode in combination with last week's and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you for listening to Unfrazzle.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend who needs a dose of calm productivity in their life and I'd love it if you could leave me a rating or a review as that will help more people discover the podcast.

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You'll find [email protected] quiz and there's a link for that in the show notes.

So thank you so much for being here and I look forward to seeing you next time.