Distraction is Inevitable, So Why Not Spice it Up?

               Everyone gets distracted. Of course no one in this world is able to just sit down and be at a point of maximum efficiency all the time for their entire life. But while distraction may be inevitable to a certain extent, there are countless ways to get distracted. James Williams discusses how phones, which are probably the first thing that came to your mind when I brought up distraction, are basically built to distract you as much as possible. However, there are more ways to get distracted. So, if it's going to happen anyway, why not add some variety?

                But here’s a quick disclaimer before I start talking about other ways you can rewire the ways you get distracted—I’m not saying that any of this is necessarily good or bad. I don’t think that phones are bad at all. They’re great or whatever, they’re just also distracting. And so is all of this! But maybe some of these things will let you be more efficient upon returning to your work than others. Maybe, with some of these, it’s easier to hop back into your work after a few minutes of allowing yourself to be distracted. Different stuff works for different entities!

                Have you ever tried pacing around in big circles for long periods of time? It’s great!

…Hey wait, come back, just listen!

                Sometimes, you just have to walk around your room and give yourself your own TED Talk. Sometimes you just have to walk around outside and let yourself work though all of those interesting, creative thoughts that are preventing you from focusing on far less interesting work. By the time you sit back down to work, it might be easier to focus, since you’ve let your mind run its course. The important thing, and the reason that I said to walk around in “big circles” is that the movement must be mindless. The only thing you should be doing is daydreaming, working through ideas, or trying to boost your own morale.

                Similarly, it’s easy to find yourself staring into space for long. Long. Looooong. Periods of time. I prefer the former to this one, as this one is less active, and, as it feels less like you’re giving yourself permission to take a little break, it feels like an accidental timewaster for me. But again, different things work for different people (and cryptids). Maybe the act of walking is a distraction for you, even if it’s being done in a repetitive way. If that’s the case, then this is the variant for you! But, if you’re able, try to be conscious of it. Move your head to stare up and think, “I need to let these thoughts run their course for a few minutes,” or “I need to explore this idea” or even “I just need to take a moment and reassure myself that I can do this.”

I know full-well that you’re probably going to see this one and roll your eyes at this. You’re going to think I sound like a cartoonish old person. But, if you’re still reading at this point, that means you heard me out when I told you to walk around in circles for fun, so you should be able to handle this, okay?

Books. There it is. Read a gosh dang book. Not something boring, unless you’re into that, I don’t judge. There are countless types of books, and if you just think reading is lame, it’s probably because you just haven’t found the genre, author, or writing style that’s exciting for you. James Patterson is great if you want supernatural teen drama, action, and themes of rebellion. Pseudonymous Bosch’s The Secret Series is great if you want something quirky and strange. Frankenstein is surprisingly fantastic if your dad is the actual worst and you need an outlet. Come up with some standards, and do some quick internet searches to find something that meets them. Books are a great distraction, because it’s easy to say, “I’ll let myself read ten pages, and then get back to work.” Well, unless the part you’re reading happens to end on a cliffhanger, then that particular method may not work. And comic books/graphic novels are, perhaps, even easier, because they’ve got visuals and usually take less time to finish reading. Though different, they’re equally respectable types of reading material, and you should feel no shame in going with whatever works best for you.

I’m kind of surprised that this next one isn’t more common, especially since this is something that most people probably do in class sometimes. Drawing, doodling, sketching, and venting your frustrations and stress onto a page are great distractions. All you have to do is keep some paper and a pencil nearby. In fact, you might even be able to do this while you’re working, if you’ve hit a mental roadblock and your hands are moving while you’re sorting that out. It’s fun, and there’s no pressure to be good or share what you’ve created—even just squiggling can be fun to do for a while before getting back to it.

                There are, of course, many, many other ways to get distracted while doing work, some being more healthy and productive than others. Tidying up your room! Making a snack! Getting really introspective while staring into space and either having an epiphany or a breakdown! But again, different things are best for different entities, and there's no one correct answer. Distractions are distractions any way you look at them, but they can still leave you feeling inspired, or assured, or even just little bit more ready to focus.