How To Take A Break (And Avoid Distractions)

Viha is a clinical research coordinator currently working on COVID-19 trials and a certified Reiki practitioner. She is also the Clinical Research Team Lead for Future Frontline.

Viha Vig

Social media platforms, technology, and the internet can often pose distractions and prevent us from getting on with our to-do lists and scheduled tasks. Especially during the pandemic, where the home and classes/office are within the same space, it is harder to adhere to set boundaries. Due to the introduction of additional stressors in some of our lives during the lockdown, we often find ourselves scrolling through a newsfeed, reading BBC news articles, or even watching YouTube videos for hours in order to escape our worries, or at least I did. After reading tons of research articles, Nir Eyal’s incredible book Indistractable (2019), and a couple of months of trial and error, I have come up with a few methods that help me minimise distractions and focus longer on the task at hand.

1. Look Within – In general, human beings have evolved to possess a sense of awareness about our mental and physical bodies. We have the ability to look within, reflect to identify these internal triggers that coerce us to choose distractions over our work. This awareness gives us the strength to change our own behaviour as we please. By understanding the reasons behind getting distracted such as fear of doing a good job or worrying about the difficulty of the task, you self-empathise and give your mind thinking space to understand how to curb these internal “distraction” triggers. To better understand these triggers, ask yourself, “Why am I choosing to give in to this distraction?” “Am I trying to avoid a task that causes fear or anxiety?” Identifying and acknowledging difficult tasks helps better understand the reason behind choosing a distraction as well.

2. Positive Self-talk – Often when someone tells me about their problems, my natural response is to be compassionate and I am willing to help them achieve a better state. However, when it comes to myself, sometimes my mind involuntarily moves to negative self-talk. I realised that instead of hating myself or calling myself names for not adhering to a schedule, giving myself a “pep talk” or listing out the benefits of performing a certain task is a better approach. Additionally, I use positive affirmations that help me to think about performing the task rather than focusing on negative feelings like fear, anxiety, or worrying that creep in much before starting the task. Here are some affirmations you could use (feel free to personalise them):

• I enjoy doing this task.

• This task is an exciting and fun challenge that will help me grow.

• I am happy to do this task as it will bring me one step closer to my goals.

Note: Form detailed affirmations in the present tense.

3. Break or Distraction? – I have seen many people, including myself, take a little social media or internet break in the middle of a task. It’s understandable – sometimes when you spend too much time on a task you want to step away and get back with a refreshed mind. However, these “small” breaks often turn into an hour of scrolling on your smartphone or laptop. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to distinguish between a break and a distraction; this can be different for everyone. For me, I realised that scrolling on my phone was indeed a distraction. To give myself a break, I looked for alternative tasks that helped me focus on the task at hand for longer when I get back to work/studying. Some of the things I do during a break are:

• Deep breathing or Meditation

• Listening to soothing songs

• Observing parts of flowers, plants, and trees around me

• 5-minute full-body stretch

• Talking a walk

• Read a few pages of a book

Now, it’s a well-known fact that habits don’t change overnight. To change your distractions, revamp your “breaks” and improve the quality of your self-talk, you will need to be patient with yourself. With some trial-and-error, over time, you will know what works best for you to remain focused on your task for longer after every break.

References:

• Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choos Your life, 2019, Nir Eyal

• The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, 2016, Adam Gazzaley and Larry Rosen.