This Stonewalls Your Productivity

I’ve been in recovery from alcohol and drugs for 27 years.

And I still struggle with a different addiction.

It’s distraction.

There’s a small device we carry around that I call the “trick box”.

Most people call it an iPhone or Android.

Big companies research how to keep us obsessed.

Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, ChatGPT, and Google want you addicted.

So they can sell you more products and services.

We’re on Facebook for an average of 60 minutes a day.

With Instagram, it’s almost twice as long!

We reach for our phones an average of 96 times every day.

So what’s going on?

Psychologists call it the “dopamine drip”.

Texts, emails, and social media have noises and vibrations that trigger a release of dopamine in our brains.

It’s a feel-good chemical and we get multiple doses of this stuff every hour!

And we’re conditioned to respond constantly to the desire to get pleasure.

When you start the day by checking your phone or email, you’re training your brain to crave instant gratification.

And this continues all…day…long.

How you begin your day sets the stage for how the rest of the day goes.

Your brain gets addicted to getting hits of dopamine constantly.

It's impossible for you to do productive work.

Studies show multitasking decreases productivity and increases stress levels.

When we switch between tasks, our brain has to adjust and refocus.

This leads to mental exhaustion and reduced efficiency.

How can you change this pattern?

Remain focused on your work and refuse to be interrupted.

Set boundaries by checking your phone and email at the same time period.

From 7:00 to 10:00 a.m., I’m not available unless the house is on fire.

You discover people will respect and admire your regimen.

And it will inspire them to change their habits.

Don’t allow distractions to destroy your day.

Can you imagine how different the world would be if everyone practiced this?

You will be more productive and create opportunities to rejuvenate.

* For additional resources, go to www.donwoodwriting.com