I’m On A Mission To Stop Getting Distracted – Here’s How

Halfway through writing the title of this article, I got distracted and started jotting down the words you’re reading now. That’s right - halfway through writing the very first few characters of this blog post about distraction, I got distracted.

I need help.

You may have noticed that my blog posts have slowed down a little recently, and whilst we can partially blame Keiran having time off work and basically ~ forcing ~ (*cough*not even asking*cough*) me to stay in bed, my predisposition for distraction is also under fire. It’s not that the ideas aren’t coming to my head - the opposite, in fact - it’s that I’m only getting a chunk into writing before another task or title pops up at the forefront of my mind and flutters my fancy. “I’ll just quickly write that down”, I think, before inevitably “well, I better jot done a few lines in case I forget the idea.” Then I start typing, another wild thought appears, and the cycle continues.

At this rate I'm going to have to impose a 10p charge on myself, because my laptop is absolutely LITTERED with abandoned articles. I’m like the serial Fuck Boy of blog posts, keeping every one of my victims hostage. I promise the world with these groundbreaking titles, then as soon as I pay any attention - WHOOSH - something else has caught my eye and I’m off, chasing my next fancy. I might come back and revisit these whispers of what could have been, but we both know it’s not serious.

Even when I do reopen an unfinished post and have a go at rethinking it, the damage is already done. I’m already out of love. And although we all sometimes publish pieces which we aren’t 100% besotted with (I can’t say writing about face masks excites me in the same way that talking about about orgasms does), it eats away at my soul to force words for the sake of having something to say. There is a lot of crap on the internet and I don’t need to be adding to it (as much as I love BuzzFeed, I do have to wonder if we really need a 38th quiz about which house we’ll live in when we’re older based on our choice of pizza topping). I want to care about what I’m sharing, or at least be galvanised to share it (interiors, for example, aren’t necessarily “important”, but they do get me excited af), and so if I don't have that excitement or intent, I'd rather not share anything at all.

With that being said, if I let writing fall by the wayside then my job title as "blogger" quickly becomes more dubious. That's why I'm on a mission to get less distracted, a.k.a., to learn how to focus more. With the help of The Oracle (ahem, Google), I've gathered a few different tips which are slightly less wanky than "drink more water", and just in case anybody else might be struggling to zone in, I thought I'd share them with you so we might embark on a little experimentation together. Let's get it.

Blazer - & Other Stories

Trousers - & Other Stories

Tee - Weekday

Shoes - Charles & Keith*

Bag - X Nihilo*

Sunglasses - ASOS*

Necklace - Carrie Elizabeth Jewellery*

Earrings - Jane Koenig*

Photos: Hannah Gale

1. Write a To-Do list (but be realistic, for Christ's sake)

Writing To-Do lists is one of those things which I know helps me to focus, but which I neglect to do nonetheless. When I wake up I have such a clear and coherent vision of what I want to achieve in the day, but by the time I get to my desk, I'm already chasing so many different threads of thoughts that I rarely ever get them down on paper. Sometimes I do, however, and I find my work-flow so much more consistent. Because I can see what needs to get done as opposed to trying to prioritise the tasks in my head, I don't waste an age umming and ahhing over what to do next, and my day also feels more achievable because I've broken it down into smaller, bite-sized chunks. This is not always the case, of course. Sometimes I get far too ambitious and my list goes from "send invoice to [x]" to "clean the whole house in under 30 minutes", which unsurprisingly goes uncompleted and leaves me feeling a little deflated. Note to self: write your To-Do list first thing, if not the night before, and for crying out loud woman, be realistic. Break larger tasks down into sections so the mountain feels like a molehill, and stop sabotaging yourself - if lists work, fucking write them.

2. Stop making excuses and have some more discipline

I am a huge advocate of taking a break when forcing it doesn't seem to be working, but I also know that personally, if I grant myself one too many breaks, then I'll fall down a slippery slope of just being lazy. Undeniably, I am a lazy person. On Sunday's I shower, go to McDonald's with my best friend and then sleep all day, and that's my idea of a day well-spent. You know that person who wants to have daily naps on holiday? Yep, that's me. And I'm the same with work. If I'm really struggling to get the words out or tasks are taking longer than I feel they should, my natural inclination is to give up, take a break, and come back to it tomorrow.  That's all well and good if I'm only facing a wall every once in a while, but when it's happening nearly every day, well, I just wouldn't get anything done. Note to self: stop looking out of the window, stop checking your phone, stop wondering if you could skip this and just do it tomorrow - have some more discipline, and get it done. You know you feel good for it afterwards.

3. Accept your work rhythm and make the most of it

For some reason, I work best at night. As soon as the sun starts to go down, people start to leave the office and we have every excuse in the world not to answer our phones, my drive comes alive. I feel free of external pressures, like I can focus in on the task at hand without being distracted by a WhatsApp or an email or a "would you mind just doing this now?". Those moments where everybody else stops working are the moments where I start, and whilst this is a canyon away from the typical 9-5, it seems to work for me. It's currently 4:20pm, for example, and I will undoubtedly achieve more in the next three hours than I did for the entire stretch of my "working day". Instead of fighting this, I need to let go of the idea that there is a "proper" way to work, and adapt my days accordingly. Note to self: if you work best from 8am-midday and then from 4pm-8pm, then work best at those times. It doesn't matter when it happens just so long as you're making it happen.

4. Meditate, and stick to it.

A month or so ago I downloaded the Headspace app in an attempt to see if meditation and mindfulness could help me focus. Turns out they did, but then my free trial ran out and despite adding 'renew membership' to my to-do list, it never got done (lol, who is really surprised?). Introducing meditation into your daily routine can be tricky because you're simultatenously learning a new habit (setting aside 30 minutes for quiet and calm), and unlearning old ones (waking up and instantly diving straight into your notifications), a process which undoubtedly takes longer than 10 free sessions. However I'm determined to pick meditation up again because it really did help me to make sense of the noise in my head, or at least to stop fighting it. During one of the sessions the narrator (leader? meditation master?) explained that the process of meditation is much like sitting by a dual-carriageway, with all of the zooming cars representing your thoughts. Rather than trying to chase just one and "fix" it, you have to sit back, and let them pass. That's what I need to get back into. And hey, if you're already subscribed to Spotify Premium, you can add Headspace for just an extra fiver a month. Note to self: renew your subscription - today.