Do you often get distracted by the smallest thing? Then it’s time for you to start working in short bursts instead of conquering a project all in one go. The short burst work method is a huge benefit to those of us who are easily distracted.

It’s Easier To Resist Distractions For Short Periods

When trying to resist distractions, it gets increasingly more difficult the longer that time progresses. So when you set yourself a low bar, such as only resisting a distraction for 10-20 minutes, you won’t feel the pressure from the distraction as strongly as you would trying to resist it for a longer period.

Think of it this way, when your phone lights up with a text, which one sounds easier, waiting 10 minutes to answer it, or waiting three hours to reply? Sitting and wondering what that call was about will be much easier for ten minutes.

Breaks Help You Focus

When you are the type of person, who is easily distracted, it may seem weird to suggest taking more breaks. But studies have shown that brains need frequent breaks to maintain creativity and keep the mind focused!

With the short burst method of working, you will be taking a break every 20 or so minutes for a few minutes at a time. This break will help clear your mind of distractions and address something that may pull your mind away from your work. Then when the break is up, you’ll be able to go back to your task with a renewed sense of focus.

You Can Use Your Breaks To Move

People who are often distracted usually report that they feel better when they are more active. With the short burst method of working, you have time to get up and move your body frequently during your project. This method helps you to be able to sit still more effectively and keep the brain on task even when distractions present themselves.

Learning to resist the temptation of frequent distractions can be difficult. But with the short burst work method, you will find that it will keep you on task even if you are easily distracted. The short burst work method makes it much easier to resist annoying distractions and helps you keep your focus. It also increases your focus and allowing you time to get up and move as you work.

When you have a massive or pressing deadline looming at work, it can be tempting to pull an all-nighter to get some work done. The problem is, this method isn’t guaranteed to help you finish the project any faster or more productively. Sometimes, working too long can negatively impact your productivity.

Working Too Long Tires Your Brain

Working too long harms your productivity because your brain begins to get fatigued when you work for long periods without a break. When your brain is tired, the work it produces is often of lower quality. You will likely begin to work slower and make mistakes that you don’t catch or notice. Not only that, it is especially bad if you are skipping sleep to work. When your mind and body are both exhausted, you won’t be able to turn out quality work at all, and you’ll probably feel horrible when you try.

Distractions Become More Tempting

When you don’t allow yourself time to address distractions, they will only become more tempting as time passes. They will continue to take your mind away from the task at hand until you allow yourself time for them. For example, if you are working on a project and you are hungry, stop and take a break to have a snack. Suppose you don’t allow yourself a few minutes to address this distraction. In that case, your productivity will only continue to decrease until you do because you will only be able to think about how hungry you are rather than focusing on the project.

Trying To Focus Too Long Actually Damages Productivity

According to Psych Central, scientists have found that productivity is damaged by working too long without breaks. Besides the fact that your brain grows more tired and distracted as you work, you will also produce less valuable work the longer you work without a break. Several factors contribute to this, including how quickly someone can move and think decreases once they work past a certain length of time. Lower quality of work means lower productivity.

Overall, while it can be tempting to believe that you will get more done if you work more hours, this isn’t always the case. The human brain needs breaks to rest and address distractions to keep it productive. Therefore you should avoid working for long periods and instead work for shorter, more productive blocks of time.