Unconventional ways to beat distraction

Do you have a bad habit of patting yourself on the back and taking a 2-hour long break after working for just 5 minutes? Is procrastination slowly ruining your life? Then you need these tips.

Quarantine your laptop (and any other device causing the distraction). Either hand it over to someone for safekeeping or lock it in a drawer. If you really need them though, a much easier and more practical method would be to use apps that keep you from visiting time-consuming websites such as Freedom, Cold Turkey, Focus Booster and so on.

Find a background music that works for you; something that you enjoy listening to, but at the same time keeps your mind from wandering. It might just be music, or white noise. For example, if you are finding a hard time concentrating while painting, try listening to a podcast. It keeps you entertained and keeps your mind from drifting off.

Keep a procrastinator pad. Use a piece of paper or keep a notebook around and jot down every sidetracking thought that comes to your mind and aim to go through that later. The logic behind this is to clear your mind, and get it to focus. Indulge in those thoughts during breaks, or when your work is complete.

The biggest obstacle to productivity is unrealistic expectations rather than distractions. Set your objectives and expectations practically and stop feeling guilty about getting distracted. Although, you should probably get to work now.

Rahma is a junior at IBA, DU.