5 Common Workplace Distractions

Whether you are spending your working days in the office, a coffee shop or working from home, there is an endless list of distractions that could tempt you away from your task list. These little distractions can have a very big impact on your productivity — and in turn, your career progression.

So how can you combat the biggest causes of workplace distraction? Lucy Hall Massage explores the most significant causes of interruption, and how to lessen their impact on your working day.

1. Hunger

When it comes to performance and workplace wellbeing, you'd be hard pressed to find something more impactful than nutrition. Food is extremely important when it comes to focus and cognition. Making a trip to the vending machine, however, does not count. These sugary treats create short-term energy spikes before a crash which inhibits your ability to concentrate for the rest of the day.

It is pretty simple how to beat this one — though it can be hard to stick to. Try and bring in a salad from home and have a large breakfast like porridge which will slow-release energy throughout the day, allowing maximum productivity. Weight and lack of physical exercise can also have a large impact on your mental health and in turn your productivity.

Even getting up for 10 minutes or taking a walk at lunch can have a massive impact on wellbeing and health. If you are an employee, you should encourage these regular breaks to improve productivity within your team.

2. Stress

Studies suggest that a majority of employees experience at least one dimension of workplace stress, with a significant proportion having two or more. A side effect of stress, beyond impacting wellbeing, is lack of concentration. If you have a million and one things going around your brain, it can be very difficult to concentrate.

A little amount of stress is good for us as it drives us to work hard, but many of us experience a lot more than "a little." Stress can lead to mental health-related issues such as anxiety and depression. The figures from independent reviews into workplace mental health are alarming:

• Around 15% of workers have a mental health condition
• 300,000 people with a long-term mental health problem lose their UK jobs each year
• Cost to employers exceeds £33bn per year
• Cost to the State exceeds £24bn per year
• Cost to the whole economy exceeds £73bn yearly

A great way to reduce workplace stress is an office massage. A massage at work reduces stress, relieves headaches and helps improve posture. At Lucy Hall Massage we come to your office and perform seated acupressure massages that are perfect for improving work-life health and wellbeing. Each massage lasts 15–20 minutes, focusing on the back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and scalp.

If you would like to book a corporate massage for your colleagues — or suggest us to your line manager — contact us today.

3. Mobile Phones

In a UK study by Clarendon London, 19.2% of people blamed their personal device as the biggest distraction in the workplace. We think having a little check-up on social media and emails won't take much of our time, but doing this throughout the day can really add up.

Going from screen to screen throughout the day can induce headaches and increase stress. Why not put your phone on aeroplane mode for certain parts throughout the day and replace those "social checks" with mindfulness? Mindfulness in the workplace can massively reduce office stress and have a very positive impact on productivity.

4. Chatty Co-Workers

Surprisingly, 20% of people chose the presence of a co-worker as the most distracting part of their day, with workplace gossip and questions dragging us away from undertakings. It can be difficult to tell a colleague (especially a friend) to stop talking to you, but it can have a massive drain on productivity.

Why not try and agree to leave the gossiping until lunchtime, or suggest "hot-desking" to your line manager? This is the idea that no one is assigned to a specific seat, and people are encouraged to move around throughout the day — and it has been proven to be very effective.

5. Emails

For most of us, the first thing we do in the morning is check our emails. We answer high-priority messages, browse our mailing lists and sift through junk mail. We have our inbox open all day, and when a new email pops up, we quickly respond. This type of engagement with our inbox is a certain way to destroy our productivity.

Instead of living in your inbox, choose designated times of the day when you will respond to emails. People can wait — and most of the emails you think are urgent can actually wait. Try setting half an hour in the morning, then another at midday and another at the end of the day. This can help boost productivity massively.