Stopping Distractions Through The Day!
We've all been there. You sit down at your desk at 9am with the best of intentions. By 9:45am you've watched a clip of a dog failing to catch a frisbee, half-listened to a true crime podcast, and replied to a WhatsApp message about who's bringing gazebo poles to the Cub camp. Somehow, no actual work has taken place.
The good news? Distractions are almost entirely self-inflicted. And with a few small changes, you can take back your day without becoming a productivity robot who eats plain rice and wakes up at 4am.
📺 The Television Is Not Your Friend
I work as a Product Owner. My job involves focus, clear thinking, and structured decision-making. It does not involve knowing which celebrity just stormed off a morning chat show. And yet….
Working from home with the television on "just for background noise" is a trap I've fallen into more than once. The thing is, your brain cannot simultaneously prioritise a product backlog AND process whether that politician actually said what you think they said!
Turn the TV off. Silence feels odd for about four minutes, and then it feels like actual productivity.
🎙️ Radio Is the TV's Sneaky Little Sibling
I love radio. And I'm telling you: don't work with the radio on. The moment a song you love comes on, you're singing. The moment there's a debate worth having, you're having it; in your head, at your desk, not doing your job. I know exactly how compelling radio is, that's precisely why I turn it off when I need to focus.
Instrumental music only. Lo-fi beats, a focus playlist. No lyrics, no chat, no information about local traffic congestion. Your brain gets something to hold onto without losing the thread of what you were actually doing.
📱 Your Phone Is Actively Working Against You
As a Cub Scout Leader, my phone is essentially a group chat with about 30 parents, all of whom have urgent opinions about the camp packing list at any given moment. I love them. But 9am on a Tuesday is not the time!
This is where Apple's Focus Mode is genuinely life-changing. Go to Settings → Focus, build a Work profile, and tell it that basically nobody gets through. Sorry parents!
Notifications vanish, app badges disappear, and your phone stops performing like a eight-year-old at Cubs who's had too many biscuits! Schedule it so it automatically starts at 9am. You won't even have to remember.
☕ The "Quick Coffee" Trap
I've caught myself making a coffee every time a backlog refinement doc gets difficult. Innocent enough; except "making a coffee" somehow involves checking the post, replying to a WhatsApp, and spending four minutes wondering if the camp menu needs a themed dessert night. (It does. But that's not the point!)
Work for 45 minutes first. Then make the coffee. The break becomes a reward, not an escape route.
🧠 Give Yourself a Fighting Chance
- Phone on Focus Mode.
- TV off.
- Radio off - or instrumental only.
- One task visible at a time.
- Tell the people around you that you're working (unless you're at home, in which case, tell your cat or dog!)
The world is specifically designed to steal your attention. Your job is to make that slightly harder. Now close this tab and go do the thing!