By Eva Keller
Working from home is great. You are in a relaxed environment, and have everything you could possibly need within arm’s reach. Some might even say that it is too much of a good thing, leading to one big problem: distraction. This dreaded phenomenon is something most people encounter, and usually try to avoid at any cost.
However, despite what most say, distractions are not necessarily a bad thing. There are many ways distractions can actually help you work. The following are some of the best reasons to let yourself get distracted every once in a while.
You Get More Creative
Creativity is something very unpredictable, and can be elusive at the best of times. Ideas can come out of nowhere and strike when you least expect them. You can be sitting in front of your computer trying to work and the ideas just won’t surface.
So you start to get distracted, check your email, start browsing and just stop trying to work. And before you know it, you know just what to want to write! The human brain sometimes craves additional input, because if you notice more, there is more information to work with. This is why a distracting environment can help with unique, and out-of-the-box thinking.
It Can Help You Find Solutions
While focus is great, at some point it can become counterproductive and start working against you. Think too hard about something and it will stay just beyond your reach. At this point, distractions become your best friend. You’ll do anything if it means you can stop bagging your head against the wall trying to solve the problem.
Sometimes, taking a moment to clear your head can give you a whole new insight. It can really provide you with that Eureka moment you so desperately need.
You Learn How to Prioritize
You suddenly you realize you only have one hour left before having to go and pick up you kids from school. Your distractions have cost you half of your day.
At this point, you probably start panicking because you still have so much to do. But now you really need to pick and choose what is the most relevant tasks for you to work on. Putting yourself in this situation forces you to evaluate the importance of each and every task.
It Makes You Feel Better
Frustration. It is completely natural and it happens to the best if us. When you work on something for a long time you can get bored, annoyed and even borderline angry. When you get distracted, most of the time it is by something you enjoy, or at least something you prefer to what you are currently doing. You stop thinking about whatever you are doing and realize life is not all that bad. Allowing yourself to get distracted can instantly improve your mood, and make you feel much better.
The only way to make this work is to get a feel for your limits, and realize when it becomes futile to keep working on the same thing for hours on end. Like most things, distraction works best in moderation. And, of course, it is not a cure-all. Just because it works for one person doesn’t mean it will work for the next. In that case, it might be better to really isolate yourself from any distractions and just focus on your work.
