As I stare at the blank Google Doc in front of me, the familiar “ping” of my email inbox sounds. Better check that, might be important (it isn’t). While I’m distracted, maybe I should scan Slack for any messages from colleagues. Someone’s shared a link to a funny story; I start to read it while flicking between tabs on my internet browser. I wonder what’s happening on my phone. A friend has sent me a meme I saw two days ago, during another productivity-sapping scroll. Asos is offering me another discount code. HMRC is texting me about my tax return. Then I hear the “ping” again. Back to the inbox!
These are just a few of the useless directions in which my attention wandered while trying to start writing this. The fight to keep my focus in check for long enough to, well, actually achieve the things I’m employed to do is a daily battle of attrition, however many times I try to embrace the Pomodoro method (setting an alarm for 25 minutes, working solidly, then taking a five-minute break) or listen to trippy binaural beats on YouTube (the two different sound frequencies are meant to help you focus). And when work ends, I’m prone to double screening – scrolling social media on my phone while watching TV – or even checking said phone when I’m supposed to be mid-conversation.
