This document identifies four principal areas of office distraction - people, things, sights, and environment. It then provides recommendations on how to deal with each type of distraction, such as using noise-canceling headphones to block out chatty coworkers, dedicating time each week to organizing digital files and emails to reduce clutter, and setting boundaries with coworkers to protect focus time. Environmental factors like lighting, temperature and indoor air quality are also addressed with suggestions to improve conditions for focus and productivity.

1. Recognizing and preventing
distractions in the office
IT’S NOT JUST THE INTERNET!

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3. It‟s not how long you spend in the
office… it‟s what you get done.

4. We recognized 4 principal areas of
office distraction
People
Things
Sights
Environment

5. 1. People
• Chatty co-worker/loud
headphones
• Constant questions
• Loud phone voice
• Family

6. 2. Things
• Cluttered
desk/computer/inbox
• Internet
• IM/SMS
• Your chair

7. 3. Sights
• Overstimulating/dull office
• The view

8. 4. Environment
• Heating/air conditioning
• Lighting

9. Others?
• Meetings
• Digital file organization
• Not taking breaks

10. How to deal with people
Boundaries:
choose spaces in the day when people are allowed
to approach you – enforce this firmly and eventually
people will learn. Set up a calendar where they can
book your time. Make exceptions for questions that
need answering immediately.
Tools:
• WorkTimer (track the time you need to get your work
done)
• Google Calendar (works online and offline)

11. Noise-eliminating headphones
Here‟s a list of the best noise-cancelling
headphones

12. Positive reinforcement:
politely but firmly (and consistently) ask
noisy people to take the conversation
elsewhere/lower the phone voice – they
will also eventually learn to do this
independently.

13. How to deal with things
Cluttered desk/inbox:
choose an hour on Friday afternoon or
Monday morning to dedicate to organizing
your files (both real and virtual) and
archiving unimportant email.
Tools:
• Mailbox (for smartphone)
• Mailstrom (for desktop)

14. Internet:
use an app that blocks you from accessing
recreational sites during specified times
Tools: StayFocusd (block website access)

15. IM/SMS:
turn off notification noises and mark
yourself as “busy” or “invisible”. If you have
set up the previous steps correctly then
there should be no reason to be on IM or
SMS unless on a collaborative project or a
remote team
Tools:
• AwayFind (for priority messages)

16. Chair:
being uncomfortable is
distracting and unhealthy.
Here‟s a list of great
chairs. Check with your
superior,
HR or company policy to
see how to get a good
chair for all those hours in
front of the computer.

17. How to deal with sights
Great/terrible view:
If you have a particularly miserable view
of the city, put up some yellow or orange
blinds – the light coming through will feel
like warm sunshine. You might want to do
the same for an awesome view – it can
be equally distracting!

18. Boring office:
liven up a dull
office space with
low-maintenance
big plants and a
few posters
Image credit

19. Sad desk:
personalize your workspace without
cluttering it or creating too much visual
stimulation. Take some tips from Fast
Company on what NOT to do. Have at
least one thing around that makes you
happy to see.

20. How to deal with the environment
22 – 25 Celsius (72 – 77 Fahrenheit) is optimal
Let in fresh air a few times a day (weather
depending!)

21. Image
credit
Replace flickering lights, lights that are too low or at
angles that cause glare (here„s a guide to the
hazards of poor lighting at work)

22. Meetings…
For managers out there:
invite people who need
to contribute. Everyone
else can get a memo.

23. Image credit
Digital
organization…
Habits: label and
store as you go;
make document
titles obvious
Tools:
Twoodo (task management and teamwork)
LastPass (password management)
Google Drive (file storage and collaborative editing)

24. A solution like Twoodo can simplify what you
need to get done by eliminating the need for
multiple tools like email, IM, notetaking and
task lists.

25. Take
breaks
90 minute stints are a
good rule of thumb

26. The original article for this slideshare
appeared on Lifehack

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