Increase focus by preventing distractions online
The “What do YOU do?” series gives you a glimpse into my life as a messy, creative person and invites you to share your organizing insights and ideas.
Online distractions.
Although the Web and email are all pretty handy tools, sometimes they’re so visually stimulating that they feel like threats. Enemies. Barriers to concentration.
If you want to focus, there are lots of ways to prevent distraction and still get the most from these tools.
Here’s what I do prevent online distraction
- Close browser tabs - Firefox and Internet Explorer (and I’m sure many other browsers) allow users to open an infinite number of tabs. I just know that if the little tab says Facebook, I will click on it whether I really want to go on Facebook or not. So I keep it (and other distracting websites) closed. In fact, I keep as few open as possible. Usually just my gmail and gcal are open.
- Prevent popups - Most of us know about pop-ups from websites. But I’m talking about the pop-ups that Skype creates every time one of my contacts gets online. And the pop-up on gmail when someone wants to instant message me. And the pop-up that appears when an email comes into your inbox.
Concentration is hard enough without pop-ups, so I’ve turned them all off. With Skype, I have to actually log off. With gmail, I have to select my status as “offline”. If you have Outlook, you can opt out of the “so-and-so has sent you a message” announcements. And good riddance!
Here’s what I’m working on
- Twitter and Tweetdeck – I’m not sure I’m actually working on this, but I’m aware that although I keep very few browser windows open, I almost always have TweetDeck (a tool that makes Twitter easier to use) open. I’m still figuring out if it’s a distraction or a tool – or both.
What do YOU do that minimizes online distractions?
Your turn! If you’d like, please share what you’re doing that helps you in your business and/or life – and also something that you’re working on/experimenting with.
Your comments on your own process are welcome. Just remember to give advice to me or others only when it’s specifically requested. This makes exploring safe and learning possible for every reader.
Organized under Creating order, Sanely self-employed. Labeled as ADD, email, focus, gmail, online, organize, organizing, Outlook, productivity, Skype, tabs, TweetDeck, twitter, web, web tools, What do YOU do, work flow.
170 days ago,
Tanya Geisler said:
All great tips, as ever, thanks!
I think that Tweetdeck is my biggest distraction. The little chirpy noise that it makes when there’s an update holds 30% of my attention if I forget to turn the volume down.
Twitter/Tweetdeck for me is like walking through the halls in highs school…the cool kids are talking about this alluring topic, the artists are talking about that tantalizing topic and the techies are talking about innovation. All delightful and compelling. Where to hang out and chat? Then you look down at your watch and realize you’re late for micro-economics. And now you’re in trouble AND you’ve missed out on all of those great conversations. STRESS!
So this afternoon, I’ll experiment with shutting ‘er all down as I try to write a blog post in under an hour with zero applications open on my laptop…and the volume way down (ooooh what a juicy metaphor for turning the volume down on other areas of life too).
Wish me luck, and thanks for the inspiration!
Tanya Geisler´s last blog ..What being Bill (or Ted?) taught me about being me
168 days ago,
Kerrie Lee said:
Tweetdeck is a big distration for me also. If I leave Tweetdeck open that little noise pulls me away from other stuff. Tweetdeck now only gets opened when I’m actively using it.
Email is my biggest distraction. I am a slave to that chime! I quit my email client when I know I have to get something done without distraction, but oftentimes what I’m working on is waiting for more info via email.
168 days ago,
Emma McCreary said:
I turned off the chime notfications on email after I read The Four Hour Work Week. But I find I still then habitually go look at it so I’m not sure if that’s better or not!
What I do mostly is have a laptop that is designated for fun and games (Facebook, etc), and a desktop where I get my real work done. So since I know I’ll get my goof off internet time later, I can focus more when I’m at my desk.
And sometimes I’ll take a goof off break in the middle of the day – but I go to my laptop to do it. That way I am not shuffling Firefox tabs and opening and closing stuff–just moving my butt, which is good to do anyway.
Emma McCreary´s last blog ..Introversion and Online Socialness/Productivity
168 days ago,
Marie Young said:
I find if I am online I easily slip down the rabbit hole of following one cool link after another. I don’t have the discipline not to look, but I had a super productive night when I checked into a hotel room with no internet access. I wrote three blog posts in Word, designed business cards, and created a new banner for my blog that I uploaded once I got home.
164 days ago,
jennifer said:
Tami – How did your chirp-free experiment go?
Kerrie – Interesting! So the chimes get you, too! I didn’t even know that TweetDeck *had* a bell – I must have turned it off at some point.
Emma – I love that you have two stations. What a fantastic way to put a healthy barrier between work and non-work! Thanks for sharing!
Marie – Wow! It sounds like money well-spent as far as productivity is concerned! The computer is a tool – and the internet is a tool, but they don’t always have to be used together.
60 days ago,
Western DVD said:
This is actually my very first time right here, really good looking weblog. I discovered lots of fascinating stuff within your blog particularly it’s discussion. From all the comments on your articles, it seems like this is truly a extremely well-liked web site. Maintain up the great function.