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What is a distraction of attraction? Why do we get distracted while working? What are the common workplace distractions? How to stay productive and reduce distractions? Do similar questions on workplace distractions worry you?
Let us discuss workplace distractions, their causes, effects, and solutions of workplace distractions in this blog.
Introduction
According to research from the University of California, people only spend an average of 12 minutes on their tasks without getting interrupted. And, it takes over 25 minutes to regain attention.
Distractions are unavoidable factors affecting workplace productivity. But, they can be mitigated if not completely prevented. Presently, distractions are fueled by the arrival of technologies, social media platforms, and constant app notifications.
It is predicted that approximately 56% of employees working remotely spend their time on non-work-related activities. The pandemic has increased the need for remote work which has further enhanced distractions among employees working remotely. They are more likely to get distracted by family members, personal work, and entertainment options.
Prominent Causes of Workplace Distractions
There can be multiple reasons for distractions during work such as pre-existing chronic conditions such as anxiety, stress, lack of interest, or other similar reasons. Let us list the common causes of workplace distractions now.
Hyper Connectivity
The habit of always being online in today’s digital world keeps people distracted from their work. Today people are very much concerned about checking search engines for the latest news, posts, and statues. This affects both the personal and professional lives of people. Studies show that in America, people spend approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes on their mobile phones excluding phone call time.
Constant Meetings
Meetings are an essential component of workplace activities. However, unplanned, unscheduled, and unproductive meetings are a major reason for employees’ distraction at the workplace. It is estimated that on average an employee spends almost 31 hours per month on meetings.
Social Media
Today social media has become a necessary evil. On one hand, it is a great marketing tool to reach vast communities easily. The other side of the coin is that social media is a major distraction for everyone. Today, the situation is so bad that we cannot stay an hour without checking social media. This is badly affecting productivity at the workplace.
Overwork
Working more than the decided work hours can be helpful for short-term to gather employer’s attention. But when it becomes your habit, this can lead to serious issues such as poor sleep, cognitive problems, burnout, irritability, and other related problems.
Performing Multiple Tasks
Getting multiple tasks simultaneously is unignorable in the workplace. This is one of the top distractions for employees. It is because when you have multiple tasks to perform, you feel stressed and are more likely to get distracted.
Lack of Motivation
When employers feel demotivated or have no reason or motivation to engage in work they are the most likely to get distracted.
Effects of Distractions at the Workplace
The common effects of employees getting distracted at the workplace are many. Distracted employees reduce productivity in offices, reduce profits, and waste vital resources of the employer. Increased distraction is also a reason behind the reduced memory of employees.
How to Deal with Distractions at the Workplace?
- It is advisable to check and note how many times one uses their most-used applications and set goals to reduce their usage during productive time. Turning off notifications while working, putting phones on “DND” mode, and uninstalling unnecessary applications can also help employees focus more on work and get rid of distractions.
- It is essential to limit meetings at the workplace to reduce employee distractions. Organizations can also plan meeting-free days. Also, pre-planning meetings, scheduling them in advance, and keeping short meetings with a pre-decided agenda will help.
- One should log out of social media accounts while working, removing browser shortcuts to social media sites. If it’s still not improving your focus, then deleting social media apps can help to focus more on productive things.
- Remote work can be a great work mode to reduce overworking issues. In this work mode, you get the flexibility to work where you can get breaks according to your requirements. This way you can reduce stress and enhance productivity.
- Deploying effective employee monitoring software will help. These will help to deliver a delicate suitable amount of work to every employee and will help in preventing them from unnecessary workloads, stress, and burnout.
- Employers must keep motivating their employees from time to time.
Conclusion
Distractions are a common fact of life. Although there is an exhaustive list of distractions for employees, proper strategies and tools can help in reducing them. One of the initial steps to prevent oneself from distraction is listing down the major distractors. The next step is to find ways to eliminate them.
Other than individuals working on limiting distractions, employers should also look for effective solutions to help employees stay engaged in their work.
