Common things that distract your working day

Keeping stress free and managing your time well you need to avoid distractions whether you work at home or in the office. Everyone will have some form of distraction to different levels.

• Noise in your working area whether at home or in the office can quickly cause stress and cause you to become annoyed.  It is easily said, but try to avoid it stressing you. You may be able to wear headphones to mask the sounds.  Tell your manager as they may be able to help you.  In the office, you can add cubicles or screens and at home, work in another room or area. Maybe changing your working hours will allow you to avoid the noise.
• Smartphones are a great tool for work and your personal life but they are a big distraction. If you can, turn off your phone or change the notifications to avoid the number of alerts you are getting. Putting your phone on silent will help or leave it in a draw or bag.
• Working in an untidy environment can cause stress and you cannot always avoid it but you may be able to tidy up and improve things. Untidy workspaces mean it is hard to find what you are looking for, slows you down, distracts you and increases your stress levels.
• Excessive Junk emails or unimportant emails wastes time and you can miss something important. It is worth spending a little time unsubscribing junk emails, set actions in your mail provider to file, sort emails automatically.  Setting colour tags for different emails can help you prioritise your mail.
• Too many meetings whether virtual or in-person can really eat into your time.  Think about if you need a meeting or catch up. Sometimes you get invited to meetings where there is no real need for you to attend.  A report on the meeting is usually enough. If you are asked to attend in person, see if you can have a video or phone call instead.
• Excessive number of tasks distract you and can take your attention off the things that really need to be completed. Manage your time, prioritise and delegate tasks where possible. If you are given something you can always challenge it and maybe there is someone else who could complete it.
• Food and drink being hungry or thirsty can distract and tire you.  Keep hydrated but avoid excessive caffeine.
• If working remotely, pets, family, deliveries, non-work tasks all are distractions and need to be managed.