Unlock the Power of Attention Management at Work

Unlock the Power of Attention Management at Work Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comI’m a speaker and trainer on workplace productivity. You might imagine that that means I show people how to squeeze more and more work into their day, or how to fill every moment with activity, or how to accomplish five things at once.Nothing could be further from the truth.Being constantly busy may sound impressive. Have you ever noticed how people love to brag about how crazy their schedules are? “Busy” has become a common answer to the question, “How are you?” But constant “busyness” is actually a pretty terrible way to get anything meaningful done. And it’s a recipe for a stressed and unbalanced life.evalAfter years of teaching all types of companies and organizations to improve their productivity, I’ve seen what truly helps people do their best work â€"and live a life of choice. It’s not multitasking, and it’s not some must-have tech tool. It’s the ability to manage your attention with mindfulness and intention.Why Attention Man agement Is the SecretevalI know you’ve experienced for yourself just how interruption-filled our workplaces are. It’s hard to get away from emails, texts and other communications from our jobs, even when we’re allegedly on vacation. Then there are distractions that aren’t related to workâ€"like social media notificationsâ€"that can still invade your workday.If your office has an open layout, that brings a whole other set of disruptions, like chatty colleagues. But perhaps the biggest problem is that so many workplaces have an “always on” culture, where employees feel they have to be available 24/7.Constant distractions and a frenetic pace aren’t good for our brains. In these circumstances, we tend to stay in reactive mode If you can’t seem to make headway on a major project, you may not be giving your brain what it needs to do the job. It’s easy to knock out some tasks â€" like routine emails or paperwork â€" in a lively open office. But for projects that take seri ous brainpower, you need some peace and quiet.Can you retreat to a more serene area of your office where it’s easier to focus? Think about how you can claim the rejuvenating time you need. This could mean questioning some of your assumptions and clarifying expectations with your colleagues.For example, if your boss emails you in the evening or while you’re on vacation, does she really expect an instant reply? (In my experience with CEOs and other leaders, the answer is usually “no.”)3. Tame your technologyHigh-tech tools are supposed to make our lives easier, not make us attend to their every demand. To focus on your attention on what’s important to you, take full advantage of features like “Do Not Disturb” on your phone.Remember that your technology is intended for your convenience, not so anyone in the world can interrupt you at any time. So turn off notifications from apps. And do you really need a notification to tell you that you have new email? Just accept that y ou always do, and shut off all email notifications.One last thing to rememberYour job and the technology you use have probably conditioned your brain to be distractible and jumpy. When you’re used to constantly checking your phone or switching between tasks, it’s going to feel unnatural to get quiet and give all your attention to the work you want to focus on.You’ll probably be itching to just give your email a “quick check.” But don’t give in to the temptation. Set a timer for 10 minutes and then spend that time working on one thing, with email, texts and other distractions silenced. Then gradually increase the time until you can stay focused and undistracted for an hour or more.Taking a few baby steps like these will help you work from a more attentive place. And that’s good for your productivity and your life.