Why You Shouldn’t Just Replace Distractions With Extra Work
We are bombarded with distractions all day long enough to block them out . Most of the time, however, we avoid these distractions just to replace them with extra work. Instead of keeping yourself busy, don’t be bored.
Sometimes we really need to focus on boredom . There are so many opportunities to stimulate ourselves that we sometimes forget what it’s like to just look out the window and dream. Or take a walk and get lost in the tranquility of nature.
Researcher and writer Cal Newport has previously praised the benefits of doing less, and Forbes summarizes his idea of being distracted:
“Once you’re in the mood for a distraction, you crave it,” Newport writes. He says you need to rewire your brain to be more likely to stay focused. To that end, instead of carving out business hours from the time you are otherwise busy with Facebook, Twitter and email, plan to use the Internet and then avoid it. “The rest of the time, none of these actions are performed by default. It helps your mind to get used to being bored and you will always be free of new stimuli, ”he says. “This comfort is essential to support deep work in the future.”
In other words, don’t be afraid to get bored from time to time. To learn more about how to find focus, skip to the full post below.
Deep Work: The Rules of Purposeful Success in an Abstracted World | Cal Newport via Forbes