21 Surprising Things Preventing You From Focusing at Work

Some days, it feels impossible to stay on task at work. Your phone keeps buzzing, your mind keeps wandering, or you're just having trouble getting motivated. We get it—staying focused at work is hard. But here's the good news: It's totally possible to get your productivity back on track. To help you eliminate distractions and learn how to focus at work, we've rounded up the surprising things that might be derailing your attention, according to HR professionals, scientific researchers, and other productivity experts.

Sure, you wouldn't expect to feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a bad night's sleep, but you might not realize that even your regular bedtime habits still aren't up to snuff, seeing as more than one-third of adults consistently get too little shut-eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Lack of sleep can definitely have a negative impact on concentration, alertness, and productivity," says Chris Brantner, certified sleep science coach with SleepZoo. He recommends taking an afternoon power nap to refresh your energy, though you should also start heading to bed earlier if you feel groggy on a regular basis.

You already know your phone is a distraction, but you might not realize just how much its mere presence is diverting your attention. A 2017 study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that simply being around a smartphone—even if it's sitting face-down on your desk on silent—can reduce cognitive performance. Study participants whose phones were in their pocket or bag did better at cognitive tasks than those who kept their mobiles in sight. Sure, you'll probably never be convinced to leave your phone at home for the day, but at least keep it out of view while you're at work.

With their bright icons and flashy photos, apps like Instagram and Facebook are designed to pull you in—and keep you coming back for more. But you know scrolling through Twitter is no way to stay focused at work. Want a simple way to fight back without deleting the apps completely? "Turn on grayscale mode on your phone," says Chris Bailey, author of The Productivity Project. "That way, it becomes significantly more boring and less novel. It's like Instagram is an old black and white book." And more boring means less temptation to scroll!

Staying on top of the news is important, but when we read updates online, we tend to just skim the articles and get distracted by pop-ups and "Read Next" links, says Bailey. He recommends subscribing to a paper version instead. "You dive into articles more deeply and you spend less time on stimulating distractions that are programmed to take your attention," he says.

You've got a million things on your plate—why not get them all done at once, right? Well, it turns out doing so kills your focus. One 2016 Stanford University study found that people who multitask often have worse working memory and are more likely to be derailed by tasks that aren't important to their current goals. So instead of sending off an email while you're in the middle of writing a PowerPoint slide, make a note to yourself to send the message when you're done.

If you're side-to-side with another coworker, there's a good chance that background noise is making you lose focus. "The new open space concept that many companies adopted has proven to be distracting," says HR professional Paula Goldman. You might not have much control over where you sit, but you can take steps to help it work for you. Put on headphones if you have chatty coworkers, or seek out a private space if a colleague's phone call is distracting you.

"One major office distraction is 'make-work,' or work that you create to avoid other work that's usually more important," says Johns. "This could include checking for new emails, creating to-do lists of your work instead of actually doing it, or reorganizing your filing system." He recommends making one solid to-do list—filled only with your most important tasks—at the beginning of the day, and trying not to stray from the goals you made.

Boasting "a one-of-a-kind international collection of more than 100 innovation failures," the touring Museum of Failure features displays on such bad ideas as Harley-Davidson perfume, Colgate beef lasagna, and Google Glass.

A healthy body is not always tired. If you're constantly exhausted, tell your doctor as soon as possible. From depression to Lyme disease, there are many causes of extreme fatigue that your doctor can treat, says Brayer. And for some hints about what could be amiss, check out the 23 Reasons You're Tired All the Time.

"For some employees, the thought, 'Oh, it'll just take two minutes to order some more dog food' or such-and-such is a frequent occurrence," says Johns. "It's really up to employees to decide whether this is an appropriate way to spend their time. As long as they are not procrastinating or behind in their work and their boss doesn't object, it might be OK." But if you spend twice as long as you meant to waiting on hold with customer service, it's probably a sign you should save those tasks for after hours.

When you have a tough three-hour assignment ahead of you, it's no wonder you end up busying yourself with menial tasks instead. Instead of telling yourself you're going to concentrate for the full three hours, promise yourself you'll get just a 15-minute chunk out of the way, suggests Bailey. You'll build more momentum than you'd think. "That resistance is always stacked at the beginning of the task," he says. "It might take three months to get the courage to start, but after three minutes, we could go for hours."

Ray Tomlinson is often credited with inventing email (although that claim has been disputed). He sent the first email message to himself while trying out the revolutionary form of online communication in 1971. "The test messages were entirely forgettable and I have, therefore, forgotten them," he wrote on his website. "Most likely the first message was QWERTYUIOP or something similar. When I was satisfied that the program seemed to work, I sent a message to the rest of my group explaining how to send messages over the network. The first use of network email announced its own existence."

It's easy to get off track during meetings—everyone starts talking about their kids' birthday parties and where to go for the next office happy hour. "We put time limits on our social events," says Jeff Rizzo, CEO of RizKnows and The Slumber Yard. "If we have a meeting, we make sure it ends promptly, and employees are off to their desks." When you're leading a meeting, try to do the same, and bring the conversation back on topic if your team members are straying from the point.

Talking to coworkers is one of the biggest distractions in the office, says business coach Stacy Caprio. "The conversation may be about work, or something non-work related, but no matter what the subject, it breaks the employee's concentration and takes a very large chunk out of their total day's work," she says. Unless you need to have an in-depth discussion, you're probably better off sending a quick email to a colleague when you have a question or need to share some information.

Samuel Johnson, celebrated writer and pioneer of the English dictionary, was also famous for his appetite. And part of the reason he grew to be such a big guy may have had to do with how he viewed meals. His definition of "lunch" had nothing to do with the time of day, but the amount of food eaten—specifically, "as much food as one's hand can hold."

In 1945, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council claimed that "a suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances." Over time, however, most people have ignored the "most instances" caveat. Water does help our bodies get rid of waste, regulate temperature, keep joints healthy, and protect sensitive tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic. And while drinking eight glasses of water a day is a reasonable goal, it all depends on your exercise level, environment, and overall health. The doctors at Mayo Clinic note that if you do physical activity that makes you sweat—or you're in a hot, humid climate—you need to drink more water. If you have a fever, or are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, you need to rehydrate with water. And if you're pregnant or breast-feeding, you need additional fluids. Basically, eight glasses should be a minimum.

This one goes out to those of you who "work best under pressure." It turns out, feeling overwhelmed probably isn't going to help you focus. A a 2010 study published in the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management found that stressed workers are less productive, especially if work is carrying over into their personal lives. Even if you feel like you're in over your head, do as much as you can to leave work at the office, and spend your evenings unwinding.

There's nothing more exciting than a new romance—and it's certainly more fun than work. Trish McDermott, a Meetopolis dating coach who helped launch Match.com in 1995, says that the temptation to use dating apps at work has only increased over time. "It gets worse if you've been meeting your matches in person and now have a flirty banter going on through texts," she says. To avoid this distraction, set a few ground rules for yourself and turn those dating app notifications off. That way, you won't be focusing on what to say to a new match while you're trying to write that memo you've been working on.

A lack of nutrients could also be to blame for your difficulty focusing at work. "Low iron levels, vitamin D deficiency, and inadequate B12 can all have profound effects on memory and attention," says Arielle Levitan, MD, co-founder of Vous Vitamin and co-author of The Vitamin Solution. Take a look at your diet if you've been feeling sluggish—try adding more nutrient-rich foods to your eating plan, or pop a multivitamin that has the nutrients you need.