Why all the time we are distracted (in fact) Bashny.Net

It is getting harder to keep attention on one task, and many blame the technology. Indeed, 20 open tabs in the browser — that will help to skontsentrirovatisya on the working draft. But even one who has blocked all social networks and entertainment sites, or even left in the wilderness without access to the Internet, discovers that something still prevents focus. Translation of an article by Oliver Berkman, who explains that the main problem is inside us.

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© Héctor Sos

Instinctively we tend to divide interruptions into two categories. The first is the temptation: when you are trying to cope with a complex creative task, thought about a couple of relaxed moments on Facebook or going out for coffee with friends after work can be unbearably attractive. The second category is external interference: co-workers, who stick with the issues, the emails that you would prefer not to answer, or, for example, a construction site near the office where workers compete to see who is louder hit with a hammer on the sheet of iron.

When we think about the problem from the point of view of the temptations and interventions, we denote it as something which came from outside, and therefore the decision comes corresponding: to block distracting sites, wear noise-isolating headphones, to disperse the pesky colleagues; to escape, finally, to a cabin in the mountains. But there's a reason why all these methods do not particularly work or help for long. The real culprit — not the external stimuli and inner desire to avoid a concentration on what is most important. Bell comes straight out of my head.

"Worse, even a work that seems at first glance productive, may actually be the only reason to be distracted from something more important»

No one ever diagnosed this problem as accurately as Friedrich Nietzsche: a wayward German philosopher argued in "Untimely thoughts" that we are looking for an excuse to be distracted. Thus we take myslitelya process that allows you to avoid meeting with nastasemarian issues — for example, fills our life some meaning? People write tweets, add likes and plunge headlong into an angry Facebook debate, because, as Nietzsche said: "We are afraid when we are alone and in silence, we will whisper something in my ear". Worse, even a work that seems at first glance productive, may actually be the only reason to be distracted from something more important. "We give the boon of daily work with such vehemence and rage, which are not needed for our life, wrote Nietzsche, because it seems to us, need only not to come into consciousness. All full of this haste, for everybody's running from himself."

Why we are we so actively fight against in order to focus on a truly meaningful? One explanation offered by psychologists, is that we desperately wish to feel their own autonomy and importance. As a result, we are opposed to all that, in our opinion, we were forced to make an order even if this order was given by us. And you decide in advance to spend a Wednesday morning for the preparation of a business plan or writing the next Chapter of your novel... But when the morning comes you arrange a revolt against the internal supervisor, who gave the order, and begin working instead of flipping Facebook. Congratulations — you are a rebel, but, unfortunately, you undermine the fulfillment of their own goals.

There are, however, an even deeper reason for the constant search of reasons to escape: to meet face to face with major life issues are very scary. You can believe what you want to eliminate all possible irritants to finally concentrate. But what if, reaching the silence of my own stream of thoughts, you suddenly find that you no longer wish to have any relationship to the company you founded? Or what mobile app, which you are so proud, probably makes life of its users a bit worse? Or that somehow the trajectory your career took you from your most important values? Life is short, and similar issues are painfully urgent. No wonder we'd rather escape to the world of social networking or anything that causes the same numbness: who consciously chooses existential crisis?

But there is good news: if you have an understanding of what is procrastination really, you have more opportunities to fight it. Will certainly install the program to block sites like Freedom, SelfControl or Cold Turkey. Do not cancel the reservation abandoned cabin in the mountains. But also watch your inner desire to be distracted — and when it occurs, do not fight with you, don't try to destroy it. Just sit, breathe, give this feeling to dissipate. Remember also that you don't have to feel great enthusiasm to do important work. Instead, allow yourself to think about what you would rather do other things on their minds, but at the same time, keep at it: open the laptop, make a phone call, type out one sentence.

 

Find time in your schedule in order to consistently keep a diary, is an effective, proven research method to make sure that you ask the really important life questions. Regularly releasing global thinking in live, you'll soon notice that they lose their radioactive component, and with it goes the desire to distract myself just to not think. You can come to the conclusion that it is time for major change. But regardless, it will happen in the end or not, you will be much more difficult to knock off course. It's possible you'll find that external temptations and interference bother you much less than before. Distraction is inner work, and thank God. This means that we should not try to eliminate every external stimulus before you will be able to concentrate on what's really important. published 

 

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

 

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Source: theoryandpractice.ru/posts/11220-distracted