7 most distracting things in the office and how to deal with them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We increase our productivity and learn how to use time efficiently at work.

Sad but true: On average, people procrastinate 4 hours a day. Sitting at work, in fact, we use Infographic: How Much of Your Workday Do You Spend Actually Working? only 60% (or even less) of the time to complete important tasks, and the rest is doing nonsense.

In 2008, Dr. John Taylor coined the term "chronophagus" (that is, "time eater"). And in order to control your workflow, you need to know the enemy by sight.

Distractions in the office

1. Email

The average office worker receives 88 emails a day and checks The Way You Check Email Is Making You Less Productive mail about 15 times during that time. Email checking is a kind of ritual that most people start their work with every morning.

But in reality, this is sheer procrastination. As we dig up the deposits of letters, we feel like we are doing something useful, but the truth is that it only distracts us from the really important tasks.

2. Social networks

We all need internet in our office to work. However, employees love The State of Workplace Distractions to use the Web for personal use as well. For example, to hang out on social networks.

28% of employers surveyed by CNBC.com said they fired their employees for abusing social media and online shopping during working hours. So online entertainment not only distracts your attention, but can also cause you to lose your job.

3. Coffee breaks

Do you like to have a coffee with colleagues in the middle of the working day? I bet you do. Coffee breaks can help you connect with those around you, and are generally just enjoyable.

The average worker spends Is a tea break at work good for productivity? 24 minutes a day for making and drinking tea or coffee. Add to this the obligatory conversations with other employees, without which no tea is complete. Awful waste of time.

4. Meetings and meetings

Working in an office, you will surely constantly attend all sorts of meetings and negotiations and participate in numerous discussions. While such interventions are necessary, they are often frighteningly ineffective.

You waste a lot of time at work has proven that people spend about 31 hours a month in meetings and meetings. Just imagine how much useful you can do during this time.

5. Colleagues

Remote work has its drawbacks, but here's a definite plus - silence and solitude. In the office, you are deprived of this luxury. Co-workers around you are one of the biggest distractions, especially because you cannot influence them.

Your coworkers can be annoying with their endless conversations, loud music, chatting on the phone, or nasty habits like chewing on office supplies. They also love to distract you in the midst of work. What kind of state of the flow can we talk about here?

6. Noise

Environmental noise levels significantly affect our productivity. And the office is full of his sources: equipment that emits loud signals, street sounds from windows and talkative colleagues. Noise in the workplace can increase stress levels and cause anxiety, according to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

7. Hunger

Nutrition affects not only your physical but also your mental health. Therefore, you should not starve yourself in the workplace. You may think that taking a break for lunch is wasting valuable time, but you are not. Hunger negatively affects your ability to focus and concentrate, which lowers your productivity.

Ways to deal with them

1. Organize your workplace

Desktop clutter can cause stress and hinder your productivity. Therefore, try to provide yourself with acceptable working conditions.

Office workers create a huge number of files every day: notes, reports, presentations - it's easy to get lost in all this chaos. Organize it all into a system: spend a little time organizing the data, but then you will be guided through it instantly. Productivity guru David Allen, for example, recommends his GTD system to clean up papers. But you can develop your own - the main thing is that it is convenient for you.

2. Take care of soundproofing

Employees discussing important issues on the phone can be very disturbing to colleagues, even if they speak very quietly. Therefore, if you own your own office, provide acceptable soundproofing in the workplace, and the efficiency of your subordinates will increase significantly. You can also create a special isolated place in the room for talking on the phone.

If you are an ordinary employee, buy yourself headphones or earplugs to protect yourself from the noise around you at least a little. And spare your colleagues: leave the office when you answer calls.

3. Check your mail less often

Check your email two or three times a day, no more. Set up pop-up notifications so that they do not distract you while you work. Researchers found Checking email less frequently reduces stress that those who check their email less often are less stressed.

4. Conduct video conferencing

While 23% of the 7 Crazy Stats About Office Productivity surveyed by the CareerBuilder resource of office workers consider conferences a waste of time, it is still impossible to do without a joint discussion of working moments. To keep in touch with your coworkers without being overly distracted, hold video conferencing. This is much better than general meetings in some office, where you still need to go, leaving everything, and wait for the rest.

In Highfive's WHAT REALLY HAPPENS DURING YOUR CONFERENCE CALLS (INFOGRAPHIC) study, 94% of respondents said that replacing traditional meetings with video conferencing helps them increase productivity. During such meetings, people are less bored and stay more focused, and this format of communication takes much less time. You do not need to leave your seat to meet with colleagues, and at the same time you can continue to work.

5. Track where you are spending your time

Oftentimes, when we take on a particular office task, we spend more resources on it than it deserves. To be more productive, use time tracking apps. That way you will know when you are doing nonsense and when doing useful things. There are many free tools out there to help you control this.

6. Pause every 25 minutes

You should not work for wear: it is unprofitable in the long run. Overwork reduces your alertness and ability to concentrate. Take breaks to rest from work, but the breaks are controlled - otherwise you risk losing valuable time.

Use the Pomodoro Technique to decide when to take a break. This method recommends taking a five minute break after every 25 minutes of strenuous work. This way you will be able to use your time efficiently and get more done. You can use the timer to help you remember when to rest and when to work.