by Sandra Knight, Contributing Editor
As a writer, you must learn how to avoid distractions that keep you from working.
Life is busy and full of things that interrupt our focus when we sit down to write that article, blog post or next book chapter.
You have been working for 10 minutes.
Your phone beeps with a text message or Facebook alert, so you stop to review it and find yourself responding to other chat messages.
When you turn back to your writing, 20 minutes have gone by.
Your email dings with new mail.
So you flip over to see who it is and find yourself on YouTube because your friend sent you a link to the latest funny video you just have to watch.
When you finally get back to work another 15 minutes have gone by.
You decide you won’t let anything else side track your writing effort.
But your stomach growls, so you get up to get a snack, and you might as well use the bathroom while you are up.
When you sit back down 35 minutes have flown by.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Each distraction interferes with your focus and hinders your ability to write at your best.
Here are some other interruptions and how they can be managed.
• Organization
You can’t see your desk top because it is covered in paperwork, old snack wrappers and coffee mugs, this week’s mail and the stack of filing you just haven’t done.
The solution…
Declutter your desk.
Take any dishes to the kitchen, throw away any trash, sort through your mail, put your paperwork in its correct folder and complete your filing.
This might be something that you put in your schedule to complete but just get it done and then keep it clean.
With your desk clear it will be much easier to focus and begin your next task.
• Sound
You are having trouble concentrating on your project because you hear your kids playing in the next room or the TV is too loud or your husband pops his head in to ask a quick question.
On the flip side, maybe it is too quiet and your mind wanders.
The solution…
Find a way to get in your writing zone.
Turn the TV down or put on some headphones to mute the sounds.
Close the door to your office and if your family is home you might have to go to the library with your laptop.
If you need sound, put on some soothing music to you with no words or maybe try a table top waterfall or open the windows to hear the birds and outside sounds.
By adjusting the sound to your liking, your attention will be on your task at hand instead of wandering where it shouldn’t be.
• Electronics
Email notifications and social media alerts, the phone ringing or signaling a text, pop-ups and surfing the internet and the television turned on are just some of the distractions writers can face when sitting at your desk trying to get your job started.
The solution…
TURN THEM OFF!
You can close all programs on your computer except the one you are working on, utilize distraction free writing apps (technology to turn off your technology) or go old fashioned and used pen and paper for your first draft.
By removing all disturbances you are able to narrow your focus to the one thing you need to be working on right now.
• Multi-Tasking
Talking on the phone while looking something up on the internet can cause you to miss something important your client may be asking or telling you.
Researching and checking your email at the same time can cause you to divide your attention.
Editing as you write your first draft will interrupt the flow of your work.
The solution…
DON’T multi-task!
Actually listen to your client when they are speaking.
Schedule researching as a separate task.
Surfing the internet and checking email/voicemail can be done when you have some time during the day or make a miscellaneous task to do these types of items.
Developing the habit of just writing without editing (spell and grammar check, use placeholders, etc.) will increase your flow and effort tremendously.
Focusing on one task at a time will increase your productivity and cut down on distractions.
Maybe they can help you get your concentration back, so you can finish that project that is due.
I would love to hear how you keep distractions from getting them you course.
About Sandra Knight
Sandra Knight and her husband live in the great state of Texas.
Sandra is a professional writer who creates content for businesses, including in-depth guides, educational reviews and engaging blog posts.
Her career focus is writing content in the personal finance space, and she is passionate about planning for the future and helping others. She follows her advice on how to avoid distractions.
Learn more about her and her writing services at linkedin.com.
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Hey, Sandra! Thanks for sharing. Personally, I find that a messy desk is no big deal to me, but a messy computer screen will always kill the concentration. For this, I like to use a no-distraction text editro, like suggested here: https://wri.tt/blog/how-to-cultivate-a-distraction-free-writing-process
Great advice, Sandra, and timely for me. Staying focused is always a challenge. Finding my writing space has been the biggest help. However, I then discovered I had to assign myself a period of time to stay there! At first it felt like a “time-out” for kids! Truth is, I guess that is what I needed; someone to give me a time-out with nothing to do but write!
Thanks!