How to Cut Back on Distractions and Improve Your Daily Mental State

The Power of Defending Yourself From Distractions

We are accustomed to being distracted at a moment’s notice. Today it is rare to get even one full hour to yourself without something trying to grab your attention.

Many people are now connected to the internet 24/7, always available for a call, text, or notification. This is not natural. It’s only been easily possible for about 10 years.

Back in the old days we would spend many mornings and evenings alone or with family. No longer.

Now the whole world is your family and you’re likely to end your day not with your significant other, but with random assholes on Twitter who you argue with just before putting your phone on the bedstand for the night.

_{credit: Mark Anderson}

This is not good! But we get used to it in small increments.

At first it was email - and how bad could email be? You check it a few times a day, no big deal.

Then it was the cell phone - but texts were primative and expensive, creating enough cover to keep the lid on the distractions.

With smart phones, big data plans, and YouTube, we became doomed. Then it got worse: Remarketing, notifications, and smart watches. Now some people are truly connected to the internet 24/7, even leaving live streams and music playlists running as they sleep.

What happens when you defend yourself from all of this distraction? Can you create space to cultivate a more focused mindset, and if so, what are the benefits?

I wanted to find out. I knew that my habits of checking social media every 15 minutes were not healthy or sustainable, but I had a hard time breaking free. The algorithms were strong.

_{photo credit: william iven via unplash.com}

It took a lot of hard work. I tried multiple strategies and each one failed. A year went by and my habits were worse than ever.

Then I finally had a breakthrough. I discovered the two habits that would change my life. After some experimentation, I was thrilled to find that these habits worked -- even better than expected. It was a big change of pace from all those other failed attempts.

No longer do I check my phone and computer every few minutes. Instead, I am able to create open space in my schedule and focus deeply on important work.

The remainder of this post will share the two most powerful tools in my anti-distraction toolkit. The first one is difficult, but the second is much easier - feel free to skip to that section if the first one intimidates you.

Here’s how mindfulness can save you from the internet and deliver real benefits to your productivity and mental state:

Daily Deep Dives: How 4+ Hour Work Sessions Lead to Mindful Action

The first tool in the toolkit is to do daily “deep dive” sessions, doing 4+ hours of work on a single project without looking at ANY websites or apps whatsoever. I can tell you that this is an incredibly productive and enjoyable method.

Rather than jump from task to task, at least half of my workday is allocated to one long "deep dive" session of work with the narrowest possible focus.

_{This book is all about the value of long work sessions}

The long session feels good. Time doesn’t “dissappear” into flow, per se - I wouldn’t want my days to fly by! - but it does pass smoothly and you can really dig your teeth into the experience of the task at hand. Best of all, it leads to massive action - a phrase I am borrowing from Tony Robbins — because if you are going to dedicate 4 or more hours to something, you’d better make major progress on it.

Most type-A people who tend to read self-improvement material like this HATE the idea of the deep dive. Spending four hours on a single task, especially as a daily practice, seems like an insane waste of time.

However I have been pleasantly surprised to find that my productivity goes up, not down, when I cut back on my daily tasks. Increasing the duration of each task leads to more meaningful and impactful work from me.

And it feels great. The mental clarity and sense of accomplishment from the deep dive lead to greater performance and happiness during the rest of the day.

Mindfulness in the Morning

The second method requires a much smaller adjustment to your daily routine.

What if you could start each day with a clear picture of your mental state? You’d know if you were waking up on the right or the wrong side of the bed, before it impacts your day.

For example, some days I wake up with anxiety about the work that I’m about to do. I want to do the best job I can at whatever it is - writing an incredible song, creating a Steem post that improves people’s lives, or even just treating my body well with good food and exercise. But if those positive intentions turn into anxiety, it is no good.

Luckily if I notice the anxiety early, I won’t rush into my daily tasks.

_{Stress and bad emotions are the “check engine” light of the mind. image source}

I’ll make extra time for my morning planning session and make sure to meditate and eat breakfast, preferably something that takes a bit of time to make, before getting into my first task.

These days the first task is usually one of those “deep dives” from the previous section - so it’s all the more important that I orient myself appropriately before diving in!

Unfortunately most people do not have this clear picture of their own mental and emotional state each morning. Instead, many people do the worst thing in the morning: they grab their cell phone and look at the internet while still in bed. This is abysmal for the mind!!

Let’s slow down a second. You might be a person who says: I’m not into this mindfulness crap, I don’t meditate, and there’s nothing wrong with looking at Facebook in the morning.

You may be right that you feel good, and you may have the habit of looking at your phone in the morning. But — that doesn’t mean it is actually good for you.

_{Healthy? Get Real. photo credit: courtney clayton via upslash.com}

I’d suggest that looking at the phone first thing is bad just like eating a bowl of sugary cereal in the morning every day is bad. Even if you can withstand it for now, it’s not a great move for the long term. Here’s why:

When you sleep, you dream. Your brain sorts through memories and processes information from the prior day. You think about problems and ideas subconsciously.

Upon waking, if you don’t distract yourself with external ideas, these thoughts will rise to the surface. It takes 10-20 minutes and some conscious awareness (writing in a journal is best) to uncover most of the good stuff.

One way to create this space is to shower immediately after waking up. You can’t use your phone in the shower anyway. After the shower, go sit down and write 2-3 things you are thinking about this morning.

This is a great way to tap into your own mind and understand yourself better.

In the long run, a lot of stress and anxiety can seep into your life when you don’t get a good look at the natural thoughts of your mind. Avoiding the phone in the morning is a key to good mental health, at least in my non-professional opinion.

Conclusion

In the end of the day, whatever makes you happy is probably the best move. For me, mindfulness is a key component of happiness.

_{a vintage vlog on meditation}

I don’t buy into any supernatural aspect of it. It’s quite simple to me. For me, increased mindfulness leads to better performance and happiness. So I’m happy to cultivate it.

What do you do to develop mindfulness (or calmness and focus) in your daily routine?