Information overload is everywhere.  Social media posts.  Radio shows.  Streaming programs.  Emails.  Newspapers and newsletters.  Podcasts.  Magazines.  Billboards.  Blogs and vlogs.  What passes for news is mostly noise, blurring the lines between editorial and advertising.  And every Tom, Dick and Harry has now jumped on the content creation bandwagon to share their own unique voice and stories to the cacophony, even if they have nothing of real value to add.  Interruptions and distractions abound.  While technology has made it easier to get work done, it has also increased the amount of venues, vehicles and virtual people competing for your attention.  Most business professionals are inundated by this “noise”… the dings, pings and pops that signal that someone has something to ask or share.   We are encouraged to “multi-task,” which is actually a fiction that the human brain cannot do.

So effectively dealing with the NOISE is about protecting your own mindset.  Noise creates uncertainty, sows doubts and undermines self-confidence.  Noise makes it hard to hear and see. It clutters the mind. It makes it hard to discern fact from fabrication and distinguish value from vapor.  Noise reduces focus.  It interrupts creativity and slows down innovation.  But stopping the influx of noise is not easy.  At every turn, it is spewing.  What is a person to do?

First, it is important to recognize that not everything that can be consumed should be consumed.  Not every interruption is urgent or even important.  Think of all that information and all those demands for attention like food.  Some is essential for survival and is good for you.  But, too much can make you sick.  And even a little of anything that is rancid can be poisonous.  Controlling the overload starts by adopting the right mindset of what should and should not be consumed.

Shifting Your Mindset

1. Fight FOMO… “fear of missing out”.  This is a real thing.  People worry that they may miss out on something important.  But, not everything requires immediate attention.  Some information may be important, but it can be set aside until time permits.  It’s okay to ignore external, non-work-related demands for attention while at work.  In fact, employers expect it.  Even journalists — whose job is to figure out what’s happening and tell breaking stories – know that they can’t pay attention to every single thing that is happening.  It’s okay to miss out.
2. Everything outside your scope is noise.  Except for your core field, everything else is noise.  Even valuable information is noise if it is not relevant to you personally and professionally.  It if requires time and attention and it doesn’t even add marginal value to your life, then it is a distraction from what matters.  Just say no, turn off the device or walk away.
3. Ignore the trash.  Some things are just noise and don’t deserve anyone’s attention.  A lot of information that is shared is not valuable to you or really anyone else.  There is a lot of information that is shared just to generate a response.   That is called click bait, and it distorts and sensationalizes information just to elicit a reaction… typically one of outrage or shock or even laughter and ridicule.  Engaging with this kind of information is a waste of time, at best, and can even be toxic.
4. Be discerning.  Not everything you see on the internet is true. We all know this… and yet we believe voices who may not really be an authority on anything. The problem with “original content” driving likes, follows, shares, and other elements that monetize the internet is that it pushes everyone to produce content even if that content is total nonsense or a complete fabrication.  So choose carefully who to believe.
5. Not everyone deserves your time and attention.  Prioritizing who gets your time and attention is a key skill that needs to be honed.

Separate the Wheat from the Chaff

With all of that in mind, it is time to cut back what reaches you.  So, if noise is bad, and we are all bombarded by noise, how do we shut out what we don’t need?  How do we parse what is worth consuming and what isn’t if some information and communication is necessary and everything else outside our scope is noise?  Here is a Baker’s dozen tips on how to separate the wheat from the chaff with maximum efficiency.

1. Focus on relevant information only. Track news, videos, messages, and graphics related to your own field only.  Put alerts on your search engines to send information on specific topics, titles and names that are relevant.  Be selective.  Ignore the rest.
2. Follow only the pros. Avoid doubt about the integrity of information by following only the top names of your industry and those who are reputable, regardless of political, social or other biased affiliation.  Following everyone undermines confidence and produces conflicting information.
3. Curate a short list of reputable sources. Check reputable business magazines and professional journals for the best information about business.  It is better to get information from three or four quality journals and newspapers than use an aggregating site that combines information from many sources, some of which may not be of value.
4. Cultivate a list of experts. Instead of searching for information when in doubt – which wastes time and invites in noise — reach out to coaches, mentors and trusted advisors for their best advice and insights.  Do not look to casual friends and family – especially if they don’t know anything about what you do – in order to get helpful advice.  Join an online masterminds group that best aligns with your field in order to get curated and distilled information from those in the know.
5. Create good work habits. Habits are hard to break … good ones and bad ones.  So the habits you form at work can either be productive or counterproductive.  For example, it’s good to work alongside productive and positive people.  But, if there is a colleague who takes a two-hour lunch regularly, avoid that person.  Or if there is someone who is gossiping by the water cooler or complaining constantly, try not to engage.  If there is someone who is really focused on their work, try to sit near that person and model the same behaviors.  Eventually it will become habit.  Sitting next to or working alongside someone who keeps their head to the grindstone will not only help you form good habits, but it will lessen your chance of being interrupted unnecessarily.
6. Break tasks into bite-sized chunks to reduce distractions. As the saying goes, “How do you eat the elephant?  One bite at a time.”  Large tasks can feel overwhelming, and might inspire you to procrastinate work by green-lighting interruptions and coffee breaks.  But each interruption breaches the train of thought, reducing productivity.  By splitting a project up into smaller tasks – each one requiring less time to complete — the overall goal will feel more attainable because it will be easier to measure progress.  Smaller tasks are also usually easier to tackle which helps get each mini-task completed.
7. Set boundaries and rules for interruptions. Interruptions are a form of noise.  For those who work from home, publish an “availability” schedule on Slack.  Let folks know you’ll be available to answer questions in a certain time in the morning and/or afternoon.  For example, simple questions are handled from 11:00- 11:20 am and 4:00-4:20pm.  Complex questions should be tabled, if possible, until a team meeting.  Also, if you work alongside someone who is prone to distraction or likes to interrupt you with comments while you work, set boundaries.  In advance, indicate when you are working on something that requires concentration.  This can be shared in a way that does not offend, like saying “Hey, I’m going to be working on closing out the books for this month, so please don’t be offended if I am very focused and not available for casual conversations today.  I’m not being anti-social.  I just need to minimize interruptions.”
8. Insist on scheduled meetings. Even if they are work-related and necessary, don’t allow people to have impromptu meetings on the fly.  Anyone who wants to discuss a current or new project should schedule a time for that, and submit a meeting agenda / outline of what will be discussed during the meeting in advance in order to minimize the initial sharing of information about the point and purpose of the meeting.  That meeting agenda / outline will force the person to think through what they want to accomplish so that the meeting is focused.
9. Block online distractions. If you find it difficult to avoid social media or your favorite blog and don’t have enough self-control, outsource that control.  Yes, there’s an app for that.  Invest in one of the distraction-free apps available, such as Anti-Social or Concentrate. These block specified sites for allocated periods of time.  And it helps break bad habits of looking at a phone every time it pings.
10. Schedule breaks. In order to reduce the desire for distractions, set aside time for breaks. While this may seem counterintuitive, the brain needs a rest periodically.  Schedule short, timed breaks to socialize, re-energize and build motivation to tackle the next task on the list.  A break should be about 10 minutes.  A good activity is to take a five minute walk, stretch for a minute or two, drink a glass of water, and make a quick restroom stop on the way back to the desk.
11. Minimize visual distractions. Manage workspace to reduce “noise.”  That means putting away clutter and having a tray for incoming work.  Keep only the current project open on your desk.
12. Sleep, hydrate and eat. Nothing is quite so effective at eroding focus and inviting distraction as hunger, thirst and being tired.  Lack of sleep is internal noise.  So is being “hangry.”
13. Plan, Plan, Plan. If location, location, location is the driving factor for real estate value, then planning, planning, planning is the driving factor in time management.  And noise is the enemy of time management.  Nothing is as effective at reducing noise as having a very structured daily plan.  Take time at the end of the day to reflect on the day and what to focus on tomorrow. Write your priorities for the next day and review that list the next morning.  Having a schedule and a set plan will help block some of the internal and external noise.

Peoples’ work styles are different. Some are naturally more distractible, more sociable, or physically more restless.  For each person, then, the goal is to learn what works to cut back on the physical, emotional and technological noise.  Pick a couple of major sources of distraction and find ways to resolve them.  Once those have been tamed, choose two more.  Keep whittling away at them until there is a system in place that works.  And make others aware that you are doing this so that they will respect those boundaries.  There is no way to totally block all noise all day every day given the onslaught of information and deluge of distractions that beg for attention.  Remember, the world is a spider web of distractions – distracting us from that which is of the utmost importance.  But by following these steps, it is possible to block a lot of it each day in order to maximize productivity and focus on what matters.  Now stop reading this article (from what we hope is one of your select trusted sources for sound advice) and get to work!

Quote of the Week

“When you can manage your time and block out unnecessary distractions and mute the “noise” that tends to send you into a state of confusion and disarray, you are better able to give the people, work, and activities the enthusiasm they deserve, to make it every moment of the day count, and to dedicate the time and effort each person deserves.”
Carlos Wallace

© 2021, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.