Impacts of Distractions
Impacts of Distractions
Now more than ever, people are highly distracted.
Here are 7 signs that indicate reaching peak distraction:
1) Struggling to follow through or complete a task, deadline, or reach a goal.
2) Drifting to social media in the middle of attempting to work on a task.
3) Starring at
the screen and having no idea where to start.
4) Difficulty completing sentences.
5) Short memory isn’t as good as it normally is.
6) Becoming easily agitated, flustered, or overwhelmed.
7) Interrupting others in conversation.
Distractions are so seductive because the
brain craves constant stimulation and immediate gratification. This can be a
killer to it all as it keeps people from being able to stay focused on one task
at a time and unable to complete the work at hand. Not to mention, we live in a
world where it is nearly impossible not to become distracted. There is constant
noise in the background, social media at our fingertips, new emails that never
stop flooding our inboxes, and phones that alert us all day with new
notifications.
We’ve been conditioned to believe
multitasking is heroic and most of us have gone years claiming our ability to
do so as a victory, however, the basics of neuroscience tell us multitasking is
actually a false idea, it’s not possible for the brain. When we’re focused, both the
left and right sides of the prefrontal cortex work in tandem, whereas, when we
multitask, the left and right sides of the prefrontal cortex attempt to work
independently, and although it feels like we’re doing multiple things at once,
we’re actually switching between both sides and this switch takes a fraction of
a second. Sounds like no big deal, but microseconds add up and take away time –
the thing we can never get back.
Recent data shows people are becoming
addicted to distractions as evidenced by the compulsive pull that takes people
off track with their responsibilities. Countless hours are wasted because of
this and it’s an obvious barrier to one’s ability to stay focused. Data also shows social media platforms drive surges of
dopamine to the brain, which keeps consumers coming back over and over again.
Social media is only one distraction people face, however, one of the biggest. Endless
access to new information overloads our working memory and because of this, the focus is becoming extinct.
TTo learn more about Stephanie visit www.themindfulliving.com and follow her on Instagram @mindfulliving.now, Facebook @mindfulliving, and subscribe to her on YouTube Stephanie Robilio. Find all of Stephanie's books on Amazon: WellNow, Mindful Makeover, Painted Soul, and Bonafide Spirit. To join real conversations about what it takes to achieve optimal wellness in mind, body, and spirit, check out The Mindful Living Podcast on Spotify.
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