Four strategies for deep work, tested from personal experience

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

One of them will definitely help you focus on business if you are constantly distracted by something.

It has a strong effect on my mood. The more distracted I am, the more annoyed I become with myself. I was tired of this, so for eight weeks I experimented with different solutions to the problem. Most of the tips found on the web were too general and did not give the desired result. I analyzed what worked and what didn't and identified four strategies.

1. Watch your attention

It is enough to be distracted for a second - and now you are already for a few minutes, or even hours, out of work. It usually happens like this: you hear the notification sound and decide to look at the message. It seems to be the case for 5 seconds, but in the process you remember that you need to ask your wife to come in in the evening for bread. Before you have time to look back, 15 minutes pass, and it turns out that you are sitting in an online store. It cannot be that this happens only to me!

The solution to this problem is not to reduce the number of notifications (although this is also useful, and we will talk about this in more detail). You need to accustom yourself to less likely to respond to environmental stimuli. I have developed two exercises that train this skill.

A charge of mindfulness

This is my favorite trick to tune in to deep work. I took the approach from meditation and adapted it a bit to fit my needs.

• Take 2-3 minutes before starting work.
• Set a timer that rings every 20 seconds.
• Sit down and close your eyes. Concentrate on a sensation, such as breathing or the touch of your hands to your knees. This sensation is your base to return to.
• With each timer beep, check where your attention is now. If you are distracted, return to the base. You can even say the word "base" to yourself.

This exercise bears fruit very quickly. It becomes easier to notice when you are distracted from work, and return to the current task, which in this case is the base. I also like to do it when I am completely out of focus. I set aside 5 minutes for a charge of awareness, and then I get to work again.

Signal for concentration

There should be something in your field of vision that reminds you to return to the task when you are distracted. An object that is not too conspicuous, but noticeable. I have this thin red bracelet on my arm. It is not distracting during work, but it is easy to notice when attention begins to wander. Other options are a sticker next to the monitor or an elastic band on your wrist.

The main thing is to use this thing for only one purpose, otherwise you will get used to it and stop perceiving it as a signal that returns you to concentration. If this happens, change the signal to a new one.

2. Divide tasks into four categories

Each of them requires its own approach to increase productivity.

Unpleasant tasks

These are things, only the thought of which makes you want to get into bed and hide under the covers. These include repetitive tasks that cannot be automated, and I define for them the minimum amount of work to be carried out. Not too much to not be too painful, but not too little to make some progress.

To find this middle ground, think about how much unpleasant business you can endure per day and meet the deadlines.

Minor tasks

These are any activities that do not add any value to life, but which still need to be done. For me, it's about emailing and cleaning.

I set aside certain times of the day for them to do as much as possible at a time, and then not think about them. For example:

• I set aside half an hour in the morning and in the evening by email.
• I spend one hour on Sunday to deal with everything that has accumulated during the week. For example, I clean the oven or change the light bulbs.
• I spend 20 minutes a day on social media and news. The rest of the time I do not look into them.

Exciting tasks

It is easy to immerse yourself in them and push others away for later. You look forward to such things.

Several approaches can be applied to them. Choose the one that is more convenient for you.

• Divide these tasks into smaller ones and spread them throughout the day. Then you will always have something inspiring ahead.
• Do this in the morning to keep you motivated for the day.
• Plan it for a time when you usually have difficulty with productivity. For some, it helps to regain the working spirit.

All other tasks

The Pomodoro method helps me to deal with them. If you are not familiar with it yet, the point is this: you set a timer and work in intervals of 25 minutes, alternating with a five minute rest. Over time, the work intervals can be increased.

3. Spend less time in front of the screen

Over the past few months, I have radically changed the way I use electronic devices. Here I will describe 20% of simple changes that will bring 80% of the results. Introduce them gradually and adapt to your field of activity.

Telephone

• Notifications. In short, turn off 90% of notifications. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen. Start by turning off beeps, vibrations and push messages - these are the most distracting. Then, reduce the number of apps that can send you notifications. For example, I have only two of them: a meditation app and a habit tracker. If this approach seems too radical for you, start with social networks and games, and then move on to instant messengers.
• Social network. I would not recommend removing them entirely. But if you usually spend more than an hour a day in them, set aside some time on your calendar. Turn off all notifications so that there is no reason to go into applications, and then try spending whole days without social networks (I have Tuesdays and Thursdays). Group all social media icons into one folder and move it away.
• News. Unless you rely on reading news for your job, uninstall all news apps. Otherwise, there will always be a temptation to check what's new in the world. If you are not ready for this yet, select 2-3 high-quality publications and subscribe to their mailing list. Then set aside some time to read them.
• Time limit. Install it for the apps that addicted you the most. You can even ask someone close to you to come up with a password and not tell you so that you cannot cheat.
• Main screen. On it, leave only those applications that do not harm your productivity. No social media or games.

If you're used to reaching for your phone when you're bored, keep it away for more in-depth work. You will save yourself another distraction.

A computer

• Bookmarks. Delete everything that leads to entertainment sites. If you work in a browser most of the time, create a separate account with only working information and nothing superfluous.
• Notifications. Disable all email client and messenger notifications. Leave only what is absolutely useful for you for work.
• Time trackers. They will help you see where your time at the computer is spent. I use RescueTime, but there are many more.
• Labels. Remove everything leading to entertainment sites and games. Remove them from your desktop and taskbar so they don't catch your eye.

Remember to warn family, friends, and coworkers that you will now less likely to reply to messages so they don't worry. Agree on how to contact you if something happens that requires your urgent attention.

4. Protect yourself from irritants in advance

Let's say you have practiced controlling your attention, assigned tasks, stopped picking up your phone so often. All the same, there remains a chance to be distracted by something that is happening around. Use the following techniques to minimize such distractions:

• Try to anticipate and eliminate distractions. For example, when I work in a cafe, I always pay the bill right away, find out all the necessary information (what kind of Wi-Fi, where is the toilet, etc.) and choose the most secluded place.
• Wear accessories that tell you not to be disturbed. For example, people are less likely to talk to you if you're wearing headphones. In my experience, the best suit that scares people off is a hoodie and headphones. If you look like you are programming the next shuttle to Mars, people around you will think that now might not be the best time to distract you.
• Be minimalist about your workplace. Anything that stands between you and your work increases the chances of distraction. So don't keep anything extra on the table.