Limit Your Distractions and Thrive
Written by Tifaan A. Ford, QMHP
Reviewed by Jenelle Hoyt, LCPC
Are you having a hard time focusing on YOU? Does there not seem to be enough time in the day to get done what you need to do for YOU? When you plant yourself down on your couch, are your legs so heavy with exhaustion that the mere thought of having to get up to run a bubble bath, which you swore to yourself you were going to indulge in, is simply “out of the question”? You may feel like there are too many tasks and not enough time in the day to get it all done. As a distracted society overall, many of us go through the day-to-day routine, not really devoting or investing much time and intentional effort to do what is necessary to thrive. If any of these above-mentioned scenarios sound remotely familiar to you, you may just need to reconfigure your focus and...
LIMIT YOUR DISTRACTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN THRIVE!
Is your daily routine filled with sections of Social Media trolling, throughout your day? Do you have your favorite Netflix and Hulu TV shows cued up when you get home? Does Amazon Prime faintly call your name throughout the day, like a whispering fairy just outside of your ear’s reach? It may be something else taking up quite a bit of your time, throughout your day, that is preventing you from taking necessary quality time for self-care and self-development so that you can move forward to become your best, relaxed, productive self. Each of these things mentioned can be productive and useful in moderation and at appropriate times. However, distractions can occur in various forms such as cell phone use, social media, personal stress, illness, fatigue, lack of sleep, an inadequate diet, the weather and information overload.
If you are ready to take the next step to eliminate and effectively manage your distractions...
LET’S GET STARTED!!
Keep reading to find out 3 Brilliant Tips to help you explore and navigate through your distractions.
TIP #1 – Set Aside what’s In Your Rearview
Let’s brainstorm and figure out what is distracting to you.
What was your first thought when you opened your eyes this morning, and what was your mood when you awakened? Do you remember? Perhaps you felt rested and full of energy or maybe you felt slightly tired. Think about the first thing you did this morning. Did you glance at the time and roll back over, to get those last few minutes in? Maybe you laid back in bed and checked the news on your phone or scrolled through your emails, along with a little Facebook and IG. Those few glancing moments turned into a larger block of time, that momentarily consumed you and may have even led you astray from your schedule, causing you additional stress and worry of running late.
How you start your day generally sets the tone for the continuation of your day. You can change the nature and mood of your day around if it starts off less than favorable, with a mental mindset reboot or shift SO YOU CAN THRIVE. Ultimately, beginning each day with a positive mindset and organized plan will set you up for success. There are a few activities that you can do to shift your focus to a more positive mindset to start your day. Ultimately, this requires dedication to develop into a habit. Implementing these things one time, will not create the desired effects that you are looking for. You can start your day by promising yourself not to look at your phone first thing and replacing it with something else, like prayer or a mantra wall that you have taken the time to create. You may have a book on your nightstand that is filled with positivity which will transfer to your mind as your eyes read the words on the page. You can also pull up a motivational or affirming YouTube video that you can repeat as you do your normal routine. You must set the tone of your day by choosing how you want to feel.
Imagine driving on your way to work, and a beautiful red car catches your eye, as you look up in your rearview mirror. You glanced for just a moment and BOOM!! You have now run into the vehicle in front of you, pushing that vehicle into another car ahead. Thankfully, everyone is ok and unharmed. However, now you will surely be late, having to exchange information and wait for the authorities to complete a report. In that very brief moment, you were distracted by something in your rearview, which caused you to lose focus and has now caused additional anxiety and stress to your day. Placing your focus on things that are not an immediate priority for even just a minute can take away from your efficiency and productivity and negatively alter your day. Remember, rest and unplugging ARE PRIORITIES, however they should be planned.
Let’s begin shifting your mindset from succumbing to distraction to Taking Action!
TIP #2 – Eliminate Distractions & Replace Them With Traction
Take a moment and decide what really matters to you the most. It is important that you obtain ample sleep and rest, maintain balanced nutrition and proper hydration, make time to indulge in your favorite hobbies and things that you enjoy, as well as connect with your loved ones. Ask yourself, “What is important to me right now? “How do I want to show up today?” Would I rather spend time searching for the latest nail trends to prepare for the upcoming warmer weather, or spend time calling your mother, sister or cousin on the phone to invite them over for dinner? Would you prefer making a homemade pizza with your children tonight, having a fun-filled game night or watching your favorite TV shows on Netflix? Going to get a well-deserved massage and ‘mani & pedi’, at your nearby salon or scrolling through on your iPad to find the perfect outfit and hairstyle for your brother-in-law's birthday party? Inventory the things that are meaningful to you as your “Necessary Non-Negotiables".
Now it’s time to prioritize and move forward in eliminating your distractions and replacing them with traction. Traction is the support and interest that is needed for something to succeed or make progress. It moves us towards what we really want. Consider your time-management skills and ability. Create an organized schedule for yourself that is feasible for you to carry out. Scheduling, along with setting reminders can help keep you on track. Be sure to schedule some valuable “Quiet Time” to refresh and re-energize and include “no cell phone” time blocks for yourself. One thing to keep in mind is that we often avoid doing things when we become tired and distracted. A helpful tactic is to remember what you value. When things seem undesirable to do, remember the why. For example, if you know you need to tend your grass or garden but would rather spend the time glued to the couch and television, you can remind yourself of why the undesired task is important. Remember, that gardens bring beauty, food, herbs for healing. Remember that seeing your grass cut will bring a sense of pride and satisfaction to not only yourself but your neighborhood community. Learning to replace your lack of desire with positivity and what you value will give you the traction that you need to follow through.
Now that you’ve revamped your mindset, eliminated distractions and are on a more positive track, REMEMBER TO CELEBRATE YOUR UPWARD MOVEMENT!
TIP #3 – Reward Yourself For Remaining Focused
Always remember to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they may seem. If you have been depressed and using your bed as a shield, taking the step out of the bed to take a shower or brush your teeth is something worth celebrating. Congratulate yourself and your small wins. This will give you more motivation to continue with your day and make it to the big wins.
You can also use some of the things that were distractions to you as rewards. If you can’t live without watching your favorite TV shows, utilize them as your rewards. Once you have completed necessary tasks and accomplished what you’ve set out to do, relax and indulge in your TV show, as a reward to yourself. This changes the mode of distraction into motivation. Technology should be viewed as a tool rather than a life source. While many of us feel like we can’t live without our cellular devices, the reality is that we DID, for Quite a LONG time, and functioned just fine.
It is healthy and rejuvenating to UNPLUG. Take time to POUR INTO YOU. Allow your ideas and desires to flow, so that you can MAP OUT PLANS TO SUCCEED. LIMIT YOUR DISTRACTIONS AND THRIVE!
If you need more assistance exploring your distractions and developing positive replacement tasks that will lead you to success, you may wish to contact a life coach or therapist that can help with better work/life balance, improved performance at work/school, improved self-confidence, communication and relationships and much more.
You can book a licensed therapist here. You can also go through your insurance company to find one in your area.
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