Instant gratification equals lost productivity
Those of us with ADHD get a bad rap sometimes. We’re not the only ones that love shiny objects. All of us from time to time, let ourselves get distracted in some way. But I will admit that us ADHDer’s do love a good distraction every now and then. Or more…. It’s how you handle them that matters.
Distractions come in all shapes and sizes. Noise, office chatter, YouTube, smells and even hunger. Our own brains distract us with thoughts and daydreaming when we are not fully engaged in what we are supposed to be doing. And we quickly get off track. Sometimes for a few minutes, and many times, much longer.
There is also the distraction of instant gratification. Those quick bursts of attention that take us away from the one thing we are doing at any given moment. Most notably social media. But there are others. Hell, as I’m writing this, my brain is asking me to hop on Facebook and see what’s going on. I know it’s nothing important, but I still feel the urge to take a break. Maybe it is a fear of missing out or FOMO as it is sometimes referred to.
But I know after scrolling for a few minutes, I’ll probably realized I wasted my time.
We get a shot of dopamine when we find something that engages us. It wakes us up and we want to know more. We hop on social media, we see a link, we click on that link and then we click on more. Then we get a new idea from that link and wow, we just went down the rabbit hole… What was I doing??
What is worse is that distractions eventually make us lose our momentum and take us out of our zone. Which further erodes productivity or any quality work.
For many of us, we have heard countless people say when we can’t get things done, “Try harder.” But we all know, at least I think we do, that “trying harder” is not the best solution by any means. Trying harder does not always solve our brain’s quest for instant gratification. We need a better strategy.
Some ways I quell my need for instant gratification
Here’s a few ways I keep myself from letting constant distractions invade my day.
Social media
This is by far the biggest form of distractions in our daily lives right now. And it makes matters worse when there is breaking news going on or major events taking place in the country or even the world. For some reason we feel the urge to check our social media every few minutes. And some of us don’t even know what we are looking for. We just want to log on and scroll. For those who are easily distracted, it is like a huge magnet drawing us in.
A few things I do to resist the urge to check social media all the time. First, I don’t post that much. Could I have more followers if I did? I suppose. But the constant craving for “likes” is one way in which social media drags us in every few minutes. Social media companies have become experts in dopamine, and they know just how to keep you coming back. For Overcoming Distractions, I post my podcast episodes each week and my articles I write.
Personally, on my own accounts, I have tried to post less and only post a funny family photo every now and then. I can’t live on social media and neither should you. Unless of course, it’s your business…
One thing at a time
Many with ADHD say they are great at multitasking. But this is simply BS. Multitasking is the perfect way to get distracted. We might be great at having 20 tabs open on our browser but in the end, we don’t really get anything done. We just feel like we did. The best way to get things done in my opinion is to have one thing in front of you. I understand in the real world, that’s not always possible but having a goal of doing one task at a time, can greatly reduce the intrusion of instant gratification. Let’s say you have even five tabs open, and then you hop on YouTube or some other site where there is a ton of content. You’ll be clicking on new videos and articles before you know it. And while that’s great that you have shown some interest in a subject, it’s not great for reducing distractions.
Maybe you found this article be doing just that, so I’ll cut you some slack for now…
Finish what you started
There is great pleasure in concluding something and sending it off. I don’t know about you, but it actually reduces my stress level when I know a task or project is done and out the door.
Committing to completing a project in a given period of time is one way to hold yourself to less immediate distractions. There is something to be said about a deadline and meeting that target. I often use a time of day to be the goalpost. I will wrap this project up by 12-noon. Then I know I only have a set number of hours and minutes to get it done. For me, it works and deadlines work if you respect them.
Pomodoro timer
I credit the Pomodoro Technique with being able to complete the writing of an entire book in seven weeks. It is a timer but it’s a game as well. The most common setting is working for 20 minutes and then you get a five-minute break to do whatever you want. While I suggest getting up and talking a quick walk around the office, you can use it to check your social media if you want. It’s your five minutes. Just respect the five minutes. You can then see how may Pomodoros you can rack up. It is actually fun. You can find the ap for any type of phone. And it has really cool new age music to put you at ease if you want.
Find your own way
I often see criticism for articles lacking specifics on advice. I say this to you. Not every individual technique works for everyone. You have to experiment what works and what does not. I offer what works for me and I hope that gives you a few ideas to implement. But you have to find what works for you and your own set of circumstances. I don’t know all your distractions or your surroundings.
You’ll be the best judge of what works for you.
Stay focused!
