How To Avoid Distractions At Work

Have any of you been in that moment where Sally in the next cubicle over is telling everyone about her wedding plans, Mike is yelling at IT over the phone, your wife just sent you 300 texts, and next thing you know the fire alarm is going off, while your just trying to focus and get some damn work done.

Recently, someone in my office has started bring their dog to work (I don't know how this is allowed) and its always running around and people start playing with it. I totally can't focus with this dog running by my cubicle every 5 minutes and barking at people.

  • How to do you cope with the various annoyances and distractions at work?
  • What are the craziest distractions that occur at your place of work?
34 Comments
 

Why the hell do I only find hilarious comments here when my superiors are around and I need to look serious?

“I’m into, uh, well, murders and executions, mostly.”
 

Focus at will app and noise canceling headphones.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

I was looking at some of the past discussions about this topic and prevalent answer involved adderall or caffeine (which is still technically a drug). I wanted to see if others in the community were adopting new tactics beyond a "quick fix".

And by punishment/ reward, some people will grant themselves a treat after completing X, helping retrain concentration.

 

Congratulations on your internship. You need to improve your writing skills. Are you saying that sometimes you zone out and have no idea what you are looking at?

 

I know exactly what you're going through, having recently gone through it myself. The only advice I can offer is for you to focus on your current job, because at the end of the day, you still need that paycheck.

I know it's tough when you have other jobs / interviews lined up, especially if you're excited about them, but if you end up getting a new job, you want to leave your current job on a high note, i.e. having people remember you for being hardworking, etc. You never know when you might need a good recommendation (perhaps for b-school or future jobs).

Just do your best, and at the end of the day, when a new job comes your way, THEN you can forget about your current job.

 

In the same boat, tips appreciated....

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

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