Despite the limits of our brains, people have a remarkable ability to focus, and that ability enables us to accomplish our goals. Even when we are focused, we may not see everything we are focused on.
Our misconception about how well we can focus on a task makes us prone to distractions.
What is a distraction? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a distraction is "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention". That means a distraction could be anything! They can be external (loud noises, surfing the web, people talking, etc) or internal (thinking about problems, daydreaming).
Source: https://ccmit.mit.edu/observation/ page 4
Why is it so hard to stop getting distracted? Is there a way to be better at it? The video below discusses the psychology of distraction and offers five tips to help you distraction-proof your mind and focus.
Internal distractions are ones that originate inside of you - your thoughts and emotions, whether good, bad or somewhere in between. Excitement about weekend plans, stress about an upcoming event, or worry about life circumstances - all can be sources of internal distractions.
External distractions are ones that originate outside of you—things like technology (phones, social media, websites, YouTube, video games, Netflix), other people, or noises around you
This article, "Distractions" from The Learning Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, delves more into the topic and offers suggestions about managing both internal and external distractions.
