Developing a Strategy for Handling Distractions

I was diagnosed with ADD at 8 years old. I have 8 brain hacks that keep me highly-productive in office: 1. Noise-cancelling headphones ALWAYS (i.e. silence) I am highly sensitive to noise. If a pen drops, someone coughs, a coffee machine is turned on…you name it. I lose my train of thought and it breaks my laser focus. If I need to get something done, I NEED to have headphones on otherwise the task easily takes 40% longer (yes, I timed it lol). 2. Uninterrupted (no yapping) work time This is a follow-up to point # 1. I block my calendar so I can have silent headphone-only working time in order to get projects done. I am a yapper, I love to chat, and I can easily get pulled into a 100 different directions unless I have uninterrupted working time on the schedule. 3. Sit in the same place at the office When at the office, having a comfortable environment where I’m confronted with the SAME distractions every day helps me tune them out. Changing locations, changing desks means new noises, new people… you get it. 4. Sit around the most productive people This is the grown-up equivalent of sitting at the front of the classroom. Being around productivity helps improve my own. 5. Phone on “Do not disturb” ALWAYS I want to control when I look at my notifications, and keeping my phone on DND (unless for specific people like family, my partner) keeps me hyper-focused. Oftentimes I forget about my phone until I’m ready to take a break from whatever task I’m working on. 6. All major “to-dos” must be done before lunch Mornings = highly productive. I plan all of my absolute musts before lunch because it works in hyper speed before my first meal of the day. 7. Multiple screens Flipping through a million tabs = distractions. I need at LEAST two screens (at home I have 3) so I don’t have hundreds of tabs open, get overstimulated, then lose productivity. 8. Jewellery, rings, or something to keep in my hands I have a very rich inner world (🤣) and during long meetings, keeping my hands busy stops my mind from wondering. While also a fashion choice, having something to fidget with like my rings helps keep me locked in. I used to feel embarrassed about things like this, but my ADD and I are very good friends. Now that, over the course of (nearly) 31 years, I’ve learned how to manage it, I have turned in into a superpower. Because I had to compensate for other skills growing up, my emotional maturity skyrocketed at a very young age which has turned me into a great manager: ✨I’m a fantastic listener and communicator (i.e. how big sister was born). ✨ I am very comfortable with big feelings. Being different is a gift. What are some of your BEST productivity brain hacks?

12 steps to protect your focus - And develop a deep work routine: (5 and 6 are so important) 1) Prioritize ↳Before you begin, pick just 1 task you want to work on (no multitasking) ↳Choose your "frog" - the important item you've been putting off 2) Protect the time ↳Find a window of at least 1 hour (2-3 is even better) and block it on your calendar ↳Experiment to find the time when you're most productive and focused 3) Find a space ↳Choose a location where you can close the door and limit distractions ↳Ask others not to interrupt you when you're in there 4) Prepare ↳Download files and gather resources you'll need to complete the work ↳Go to the bathroom, grab a water, and anticipate any other needs 5) Put your phone away ↳Switch your phone to airplane mode and put it out of reach ↳Do NOT look at it until you're finished - that friend's text can wait 6) Shut apps  ↳Close anything on your computer that has notifications, like email and Slack ↳X out of any distracting tabs like news sites or social media 7) Grab a pen and pad ↳It's impossible to stop to-dos and other thoughts from popping into your head ↳Simply write them down when you think of them and then move on 8) Use headphones ↳If you're particularly sensitive to sound, try noise-canceling headphones ↳Find what's best for you: playing nothing at all, white noise, or music without lyrics 9) Clear your mind ↳When everything is ready, pause before diving in to briefly relax ↳You can simply close your eyes and breathe, or do a 1-minute meditation 10) Use a timer ↳Set a timer so you don't have to worry about watching the clock ↳Experiment with techniques like Pomodoro to work and break in intervals 11) Improve ↳After every time you do deep work, reflect on what helped and hurt your focus ↳Make improvements each time to consistently enhance your productivity 12) Handle the basics ↳Exhaustion, hunger, and lack of exercise can be even worse for focus than your phone ↳Get adequate sleep, eat well, and move your body every day Just two hours of deep work can beat a full day of distracted work. Use this checklist to focus deeply on your most important tasks, And turbocharge your productivity. P.S. I'm always curious to hear: When do you get your best deep work done? --- ♻ Repost to help your network be more productive. And follow me George Stern for more. If you want the high-res PDF of this sheet, sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gpe6Q3V6

The $37,000 blind spot: Everyone's selling productivity tools. No one's talking about noise management. 🎯 You sit down to work… and before you know it, it’s 5:47 PM. Another day gone. No real thinking. Just reacting. 📉 23 minutes lost after each interruption 📱 2.1 hours a day to digital noise 😵 47% of time spent on autopilot Distraction has a cost. And it’s not just time. It’s clarity, creativity, and control. The most successful leaders aren’t the busiest. They’re the best at filtering what gets through. 8 noise management strategies that actually work: 1️⃣ Protect your prime hours → Figure out when your brain is sharpest. → Block that time like a VIP meeting. → Save busywork for your low-energy windows. 2️⃣ Use the “Not Now” reflex → “This deserves more focus. Can we schedule it?” → “I’m in deep work. Can it wait until 2?” → Deferring is strategic. Not rude. 3️⃣ Design your phone for focus → Turn it grayscale. → Keep only one attention-grabbing app visible. → Bury the rest in folders. 4️⃣ Build focus infrastructure → Create separate spaces for thinking vs. reacting. → Use different desktops or browser profiles. → Keep Slack and inboxes off your creative workspace. 5️⃣ Protect your signal-to-noise ratio → Mute half your newsletters. → Unfollow accounts that drain instead of inspire. → Read less. Think more. 6️⃣ Audit your interruptions → Track what breaks your flow for 2 days. → Find the biggest offenders. → Eliminate your top 3 distractions. No mercy. 7️⃣ Batch routine work → Reply to emails and messages in blocks. → Turn off the red dot. → Instant replies aren’t your job description. 8️⃣ Move to reset → Step outside for 10 minutes without your phone. → Walk the block or stretch between tasks. → Movement breaks the mental swirl. The truth? In a world of infinite input, Your filters are your future. What’s one distraction you’re cutting this week? Share in the comments. --- ♻ Repost to help someone else stop drowning in distractions. 👉 Follow me, Stephanie Eidelman (Meisel), for leadership insights that cut through the noise.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned in my 20 years at EY is this: Half the battle at work is knowing which DISTRACTIONS to ignore. They are relentless—constant email notifications, unnecessary meetings, internal competition, office drama, social media, coworkers needing "just a minute," multitasking, and endless CPE requirements. They distract you from what truly moves the needle: deep, focused work. Attention is like a muscle. Strengthen it, and you’ll set yourself apart. Here are 10 truths to help you regain control: #1. If you don’t control your attention, someone else will. Client calls, emails, leadership requests—if you don’t set boundaries, your priorities will be set for you. The highest performers don’t just manage time; they guard their attention. #2. Busyness is a trap disguised as ambition. Many professionals confuse activity with progress. Those who advance at work allocate time for strategic thinking, not just execution. #3. The ability to disconnect is a powerful move. Individuals who can step away from the mental and physical noise think more clearly, make sharper decisions, and operate at a level others can’t reach. #4. Focusing under pressure is an advantage. The Big 4 thrives on high-stakes moments. The ones who stay locked in when others panic win. #5. Effective professionals prioritize the important, not just the urgent. Big 4 life presents constant urgency. The top performers filter out the noise and focus on what truly matters. #6. Your attention is your reputation. Constant distractions show, and so does focus. People notice who is sharp, reliable, and fully present. #7. If you're too available, you lose value. High performers don’t waste their days responding to every email or meeting invite. They fiercely protect their time to drive real results. #8. Attention debt is as real as financial debt. Whenever you allow distractions to accumulate, you create a backlog of unfocused work that compounds—similar to interest on a bad loan. High performers stay focused in real time. #9. The best opportunities come to those who see what others miss. Most people drown in the day-to-day. The real winners are those who stay focused long enough to spot patterns and gaps. #10. A career built on deep focus endures longer than one based on constant reaction. Over a decade, the distracted chase urgency, while the focused create lasting impact.