How To Be Less Distracted at Work – and in Life | HBR IdeaCast

22 Mar 2023

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Nir Eyal, an expert on technology and psychology, says that we all need to learn to be less distracted into activities that don’t help us achieve what we want to each day. Unwelcome behaviors can range from social media scrolling and bingeing on YouTube videos to chatting with colleagues or answering non-urgent emails. To break these habits, we start by recognizing that it is often our own emotions, not our devices, that distract us. We must then recognize the difference between traction (values-aligned work or leisure) and distraction (not) and make time in our schedules for more of the former. Eyal also has tips for protecting ourselves from the external distractions that do come at us and tools to force us to focus on bigger-picture goals. He is the author of the book Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life (https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Control-Your-Attention-Choose/dp/194883653X). This article originally aired on HBR IdeaCast on September 24, 2019. Listen to more HBR IdeaCast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzAU8TPKsJuaxff5Cp0P2DKE_tFyaWOOa You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2019/09/how-to-be-less-distracted-at-work-and-in-life - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-less-distracted-at-work-and-in-life/id152022135?i=1000451042611 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4I2X4dbzvqkKZHbebqwEzq?si=4e3193d7bc804984 - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/hbr-ideacast/episode/how-to-be-less-distracted-at-work-and-in-life-64121681 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2lkZWFjYXN0/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAwNi0wNS0wODppZGVhY2FzdC4wNzAx?sa=X&ved=0CAIQuIEEahcKEwiAwI-Z4O_9AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNQ Series Description: A weekly podcast featuring the leading thinkers in business and management. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 1:33 – Distraction is Habitual 6:09 – Four Ways to Become Indistractable 11:29 – Managing External Distractions 14:43 – Time Boxing/Schedule Syncing 19:37 – Making Pacts with Yourself and Others 22:23 – Distraction at Work Is a Symptom of Cultural Dysfunction 26:24 – Outro Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review/ Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #business #management Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.

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