In this blog, We will tell you the best way to avoid 7 Distractions That Kill Productivity in the Workplace One of the greatest things about being a working adult is getting to choose what you want to do with your day. It’s one of the perks of the job, along with freedom, money, and flexibility.
Unfortunately, some of us have a harder time with self-control than others. That’s why it’s important to know the seven most common distractions that kill productivity in the workplace —and what to do about them.
In this post, OrangeIQ‘ll be talking about interruptions, email alerts, coworker interactions, social media use in the workplace, phone calls during meetings, office noise levels, and changes in location.
These are simply some of the more common distractions that can come up when you’re trying to focus on getting things done. It doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert — it can be really hard to stay on task with all these potential temptations around.
Here are 7 Distractions That Kill Productivity in the Workplace
1. Interruptions:
An interruption is any unexpected event that pulls your attention away from a task. It includes phone calls, knock-on doors, emails, and instant messages. Unfortunately, too many interruptions can be detrimental to productivity. You lose time getting back into the “zone,” struggling to remember what you were doing when you got interrupted, and ultimately wasting precious moments of your life waiting for someone else to finish whatever it was they had to do so you could get back to work.
2. Email Alerts:
You’re performing a task, you think you’re “done” and then suddenly your inbox alerts you with reminders from your boss, clients, or other people that need something from you. You think about how busy it is at work and then finally get back to what you were doing. Unfortunately, this only lasts for so long before your brain starts to think about emails again. You end up with the same issue where you go through a few emails and then get started on something else — again losing precious time.
3. Coworker Interactions:
When coworkers are around all day, they can become really distracting — especially if they’re sitting right next to an open desk or cubicle wall. For example, if there’s a coworker around you have to have a conversation with, it can really break up your concentration. Suddenly, you can’t remember what you were working on before they came along. The fact is that socializing with coworkers is important and can be highly beneficial to your career — but usually during scheduled breaks or at the end of the workday.
4. Social Media Use in the Workplace:
We’re all guilty of this one — whether you’re looking for something specific on Facebook or checking out your Twitter feed on your phone to see if anyone has written anything new lately. Of course, when these notifications come up it’s hard not to want to read them immediately. But when you’re trying to accomplish a task, your attention is focused on one thing: getting that task done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
5. Phone Calls During Meetings:
Have you ever been at a meeting where someone has been phone hunting for 20 minutes straight? You can feel everyone’s eyes burning into the back of your head, watching you and knowing that you’re the only one not getting anything accomplished. This can be very distracting, especially if someone else is the person who has to take the call. As a rule of thumb, keep all cell phones off during meetings, and be sure to put them in silent mode while they are with you.
6. Office Noise Levels:
When it’s too quiet in the office, you start to hear every minor sound — especially the sound of your co-worker typing on a keyboard. It can be really distracting when there’s just not enough background noise to cancel out the concentration crashers like keyboard clicks and mouse noises. If you’re in an office space where you can’t control what kinds of sounds are around you, try investing in some cheap earplugs to keep out any distracting sounds (and help keep your alertness level high.)
7. Changes in Location:
This final one doesn’t necessarily have to do with distractions but rather how our brains process information and the way we function best when working. The best example of this is studying for an exam. If, for example, you have to take a test for two hours and then go into another room where you’re working on a project in front of an empty desk it can feel like double work when you get back to the first test. Luckily, there are ways around this problem such as printing study guides or accessing flashcards on your smartphone during breaks.
Conclusion
As you can see, these 7 distractions that kill productivity in the workplace are surprisingly common and all of them can be a huge detriment to your productivity. But don’t let this be a cause for concern. The key is that you set up your workspace so the distractions aren’t there, and use tools like note apps and timers to keep yourself on target. It’s important to remember that it’s normal to have distractions in the workplace — it really helps us avoid being overwhelmed by our tasks — so you shouldn’t let these seven distractions become a big deal. Most importantly, don’t let other people dictate how you work because they’re concerned about what your business partner might say if they see you working when you should be chatting with them or taking a phone call.
