Nir Eyal: How to Stay Focused?

The ability to stay focused is key to achieving your true self. In a world full of distractions, this ability has become more important than ever. Nir Eyal, author of "Hooked," offers us effective methods to eliminate distractions and maintain focus.

Why are we always so easily distracted? It turns out that distractions often have internal causes. We get distracted because we constantly seek to escape psychological discomfort. To avoid distractions, we need to address the issues from the inside out.

Identify Internal Triggers of Distraction

Next time you feel your attention slipping, try to record your feelings and the reasons behind them. This way, you can understand the internal triggers right from the start. Afterward, you can avoid distractions by making tasks more enjoyable.

Prioritize Time for Yourself Before Scheduling Work

Creating a plan can prevent distractions because you will clearly know your goals. However, prioritizing work time is not the best starting point. On the contrary, you should first plan for yourself and your relationships. By doing so, playtime is already scheduled, and you won’t interrupt your work out of a desire to play. In other words, work when it’s time to work, and play when it’s time to play.

Reduce Office Distractions and Learn to Organize

There are often many external factors in the workplace that distract attention, such as email notifications. Try to let others know that you need to focus entirely on the task at hand so that they won’t disturb you. Additionally, learn how to effectively organize your emails to ensure that you only have a few to focus on each day. Besides emails, there are many other forms of distractions in the workplace; learn to manage them with minimal effort.

Use Pacts to Prevent Distraction

One undeniable fact is that our struggle with distractions is not a one-day battle. You can use apps that block distractions. Alternatively, work together with others to stay focused. Also, imposing fines as a penalty for not meeting goals can be very effective; this practice has greatly benefited the author.

Foster a Healthy Work Culture

An imbalanced work culture is the beginning of endless distractions. In an unbalanced work culture, employees are heavily burdened and may even be expected to respond to emails after hours. Employers should create a platform that allows employees to provide feedback safely without fear of being fired.