It’s easy to get distracted in the office. With emails, instant messages, cloud-based collaboration, noisy fax machines and chatty colleagues, finding the line between sanity and productivity can feel like walking a tightrope.
In one survey, 70 percent of workers said they feel distracted when on the job. And 16 percent admitted to feeling this way all the time.
So rather than wracking your brain for how you can work harder, think about how you can work smarter. Here are some of the worst productivity killers in the office and how you can avoid them.
1. Smartphones
Having a smartphone is great. You can instantly check your email, look at the weather, order a pizza, scan social media and complete millions of other activities. But the average American checks their phone every 12 minutes, so it’s safe to say you’ve had your phone in your hand at least once during the workday.
We’re all guilty of this time waster, especially since most of us need to stay reachable during work hours. But you can still take steps to cut out distractions. Try turning off notifications altogether or using the “Do Not Disturb” function. If you want to try more drastic measures, you can even delete all distracting apps to ensure you’ll be focusing on work instead of your phone.
2. Multitasking
The ability to multitask is a great trait in the right environment, but in the workplace, it will kill your productivity. Studies show people who divide their attention between multiple tasks do not pay attention, retain information or perform as well as those who complete one task at a time.
Instead of focusing on everything happening at once, divide your hours and build a schedule for what your day will look like such as a ten-minute block of time for checking and responding to emails. Dedicate more time to focus on one task from start to completion.
3. Coworkers
Working in an office means you can’t control who you work around. While having coworkers can boost creativity, they can also be a source of constant distractions. If you can’t focus in a shared office space, you’re not alone. 75 percent of employees said they would rather work alone than with a team.
Working in a shared space isn’t for everyone, so sometimes the best way to cut out distractions and stay productive is to have your own space.
If you prefer to relocate, start early and create a plan before taking action. Talk to your employer about working out of a private office or remotely in a rented office. Or, if you do decide to work from home, keep your work space separate from your living space to maximize work and life balance.
4. Social Media
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are great ways to connect with others in your industry and stay up-to-date with new trends. But too often, we get distracted from our work by the impulse to update feeds and watch videos. 90 percent of workers say they check social media at work, with some even admitting they do so excessively.
Social media has a time and place. Unfortunately, if you want to stay focused, social media shouldn’t infiltrate the workplace. Disable notifications on your smartphone to prevent noisy reminders. Or you can even download an app designed to block out distractions such as SelfControl and Cold Turkey.
5. Meetings
The word “meeting” is almost dirty in the workplace, a known time-waster guaranteed to put you behind. Often, meetings aren’t planned out, with no clear goal for the group to work toward.
Suggest implementing the use of meeting agendas. You should draft these agendas before any meeting and outline goals, objectives and tasks to meet. This provides meeting structure and allows the group to more efficiently work toward the same solutions.
Cutting Out Productivity Killers
Ridding your workplace of every distraction is impossible. But if you’re dedicated to ramping up your productivity, start with the disruptions most detrimental to your workflow.
Is your Twitter feed eating up too much time? Turn off your notifications for a day. Can’t escape co-workers who want to chat? Talk to your employer about working remotely. If you take steps to make a change, you’ll soon avoid distractions and get work done like a pro.
Kayla Matthews, a Pittsburgh-based productivity journalist, has written for publications such as Successful Blog, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and more. To see more stories by Kayla, visit ProductivityTheory.com or follow her on Twitter @KaylaEMatthews.