Even while doing something you like, are you easily distracted? If this is the case, you are not alone!
According to Harvard research, our thoughts wander roughly 47% of the time.
Learning to concentrate for long periods will improve your career, sports, and leisure performance.
Furthermore, some people are more susceptible to distraction than others. One possibility is that you have a massive brain! Yes, too much grey matter in some brain sections might cause you to become easily distracted.
Young people’s concentration levels are likely to influence their brain development.
With our iPhones connected to news and social media 24 hours a day, there’s also something to keep us occupied.
Smartphones
Companies want to increase employee productivity, and one of the most important ways is to reduce distractions. For example, you may work for a company with phone and social media regulations.
Much research on smartphones in the workplace has been conducted during the last decade.
Smartphones impact worker productivity, according to 55% of employers in 2016. Employees acknowledged using their phones 66% of the time at work.
Eight out of ten workers indicated their phones did not distract them in the same study.
Companies that previously restricted access to websites during office hours, including some that outright banned smartphone use, has recently been forced to change their policy.
Employees are distracted by smartphones, but employers are gradually adopting them.
Instead of forbidding workers from using cell phones at work, corporations are emphasizing the benefits, which include:
- Retention of employees
- Especially in an emergency outside of business hours
- It boosts productivity when used to catch up on emails or work outside of office hours.
Smartphone use is expected to increase by 25% by 2025.
Did you know that the typical person spends 4.8 hours each day on their phone?
It is greater in certain countries, such as South Korea and Brazil, where the average daily mobile use surpasses five hours. This distraction will not go away, and businesses must find new ways to encourage better behavior to increase employee productivity.
Tip
Businesses may assist their workers in managing their smartphone use during work hours by encouraging them to:
- It is possible to disable app notifications.
- To turn off your cell connection, switch on airplane mode on your phone.
- Mobile data should be switched off for distracting applications.
- Set you do not disturb or sleep modes to turn off an hour after you start working.
- Create calendar alerts for reading emails, watching the news, and texting.
An Open Concept Design
According to the survey, 96% of workers want to change employment. Not the corporation, but the workplace. Sixty-five percent choose full-time employment, while 31 percent prefer part-time employment. The open-plan approach is beneficial for management’s employee monitoring. However, it is not a productive design.
Conversations
Workers at clusters of workstations are close to one another.
There may be as many as 50 or 100 people per level in an open-plan setting. Everyone hears every word uttered. Workers are interrupted 56 times each day on average, according to Clockify. That works up to eight interruptions per hour when broken down.
Every 7.5 minutes, there is an interruption.
It takes two hours to concentrate on work due to all of the distractions. Each day, worker productivity is less than three hours. Workers who work from home for part or all of the week want to do more.
Temperature
Women demand more heat than males, did you know? Women will be wearing extra garments and maybe jackets if the ambient temperature goes below 22°C, the optimal room temperature for a 40-year-old 70 kg guy!
If you operate in a mostly female environment, bear in mind that women’s demands are 3°C (5.4F) warmer than men’s.
Employees will be more inclined to leave their workstations to prepare hot beverages if the workplace is excessively chilly. Similarly, staff will grow sleepy and less productive if the workplace is too hot!
Tip
Ascertain that the air conditioner is adjusted to a reasonable temperature. Set your thermostat to 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit). You’re probably ignorant of how the perfect temperature was established.
In addition, by having half of your staff in the workplace simultaneously, you may decrease discussion and movement distractions. It is also feasible to create more space between workstations. Include some natural elements as well.
Plants may help to enhance air quality and provide seclusion, enabling employees to be less distracted by their coworkers moving about the floor.
Stress
Workplace stress lowers productivity and may be harmful to employees’ health.
Stress is a silent killer. Changes to the corporate culture and physical surroundings may help enhance work-life balance, such as:
- Make a separate area for sleep and meditation.
- Encourage them to take several breaks throughout the day.
- Employees may work from home if they work fewer hours in the office.
Workers must also take responsibility for their stress levels by committing to the following:
- Getting enough sleep in regular periods
- Physical exercise every day
- Nutrition
Last Thoughts
Distractions surround us at work and home. As a company owner, you should continually evaluate and improve everything that hinders workplace efficiency. You’ll have a win-win scenario if you improve your business culture and inspire your staff to dig deep and bring their best selves to work.
