6 ways to overcome distractions
September 15, 2014 4:23 AM
Erin Bramblett, HR specialist with Insperity, an HR outsourcing firm, outlines six ways benefit managers and other employees can avoid the multitasking trap.
[Image: Fotolia]
1. Prioritize.
Prioritize what you need to get done as an employee and do those things early in the day, says Bramblett. Focus on what needs to get done, whether its three things or five things, and focus on those until theyre done.
[Image: Fotolia]
[Image: Fotolia]
2. Create a to-do list.
Write that bulleted list, include scheduled breaks and cross them off as you complete them. That will help you stay focused, advises Bramblett. And taking a mental break in between tasks will help employees shift gears a little more easily.
[Image: Fotolia]
[Image: Fotolia]
3. Dont check social media during the day.
A five-minute break to update your status can easily turn into a 30-minute waste of time, says Bramblett, who advises keeping social media pages closed during the work day. But if you absolutely cant go all day without seeing what those crazy cats on Instagram are up to, then schedule it as part of your break on your to-do list.
[Image: Fotolia]
[Image: Fotolia]
4. Learn the power of no.
Its hard to not say yes to every assignment that comes your way, says Bramblett. But youve got to make sure youre keeping your to-do list at a realistic level. She advises communicating with your team, your boss or your clients to make sure your daily priorities are correct and that youre finding out which things are most important for you to get done each day.
[Image: Fotolia]
[Image: Fotolia]
5. Dont think youre capable of multitasking.
It is scientifically proven that individuals work better when they are single-tasking, says Bramblett, citing an American Psychological Association study that showed multitasking undermines efficiency by as much as 40%.
[Image: Shutterstock]
[Image: Shutterstock]
6. Create a workplace that doesnt expect multitasking.
If employees feel like they have to multitask because their boss keeps coming at them with multiple projects and asking for updates on 15 different things in a day, that would certainly be something that would create that environment so you want to ensure you create that work-life balance, advises Bramblett.
[Image: Fotolia]
[Image: Fotolia]
