Keeping the Distractions Away

Distractions. They tend to get the best of us. You sit down to write the next chapter of your novel, only to find your focus wandering. Maybe it is the book sitting on the table next to you, or the Facebook tab thats still open, but suddenly you find hours have past, and you only have the first paragraph written.

I'm here to give you a few tips on removing the distractions, so that you can finish that chapter, and eventually,  the novel!

First things first, find out what distracts you. Personally, Facebook is never a problem for me, as I can easily ignore notifications. But on the other hand, Tumblr grabs my attention for hours. So think back and pin point which things are the biggest distractions for you.

Once you know what's distracting you, think of ways to remove this distraction before you start writing. If your distracted by a book or your phone, go put it in another room, or get someone to hold on to it.

If it is a social media website that distracts you, log out and close the tab. You won't be distracted by notifications or alerts. You also won't open it just for a quick check, since that require you to go through the log in process. If you have a compulsive need to check the site, consider temporarily cutting your internet connection. That will keep you focused on your writing.

If worst comes to worst, try using software that blocks websites for set amounts of time. Check out this 99u article and this Huffington Post article, both of which lists sites that allow you to block websites or control the amount of time your spend on certain sites.

Removing distractions allows you to stay focused and finished everything you need to. But remember,  it is okay to take a break and reward yourself. Maybe your can work for half an hour and then take a five minute break? Or you have reach a certain word count before you check that Facebook notification. It's all about setting priorities and having self control.

To summarize, to keep distraction away, you actively have to remove them so that your mind can focus.

Do you find yourself getting distracted while writing? How do you cope? Leave a comment below!