Four practical methods to protect you from outside distractions and improve work efficiency

Editor/Xiao Yiting

When we sit in the office and prepare to complete a full day's work efficiently, we always find that there are many distractions around us. People and things, including the extension phone constantly ringing in your ears, emails or messages constantly popping up, colleagues coming to you from time to time to chat or discuss business, etc. When the deadline is imminent and you are extremely busy, if you continue to be distracted from dealing with these things, your own work progress will only be delayed.

Therefore, Gwen Moran, a contributor to "Fast Company", proposed four very practical ways to help you maintain a high level of focus in situations that are prone to distractions and reduce work efficiency. and high productivity. 1. Set up a sign

Just like hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign on a hotel room door, you can also put up a "Do Not Disturb at Work" sign on your desk to let others know. Your co-workers or supervisors will recognize that you need to be highly focused on the task at hand and don't want to be disturbed by anyone. 2. Wear over-ear headphones

Whether you plan to listen to some music or not, wearing over-ear headphones can help you block out outside sounds. And compared with common headphones, the conspicuous over-ear headphones actually imply that "you are immersed in your own world", so colleagues around you are less likely to disturb you at this time.

3. Plan "times when you can accept interruptions"

If your work often requires coordination and communication with others, but at the same time you also need some private time to concentrate, why not Make a clear distinction between the two on your schedule! For example, you could tell a co-worker that if it's not an emergency, you'd like to be fully focused on work in the morning and wait until the afternoon to discuss it with them. Corporate consultant Al Levi said that he usually arranges for employees to discuss promotions or salary increases with him after 5 p.m., because it has nothing to do with the work content and is less urgent. 4. Establish a system

Kurt Steckel, president of the consulting firm Bison Analytics, mentioned that he planned a half-hour meeting every morning so that employees could ask him questions or report related issues during this time. work progress. In this way, if it is not a very urgent situation, subordinates will choose to wait until the next morning to make inquiries, and Kurt Steckel will not be constantly disturbed.