CHICKS and HENS

Let’s talk distractions. My biggest distractions are often the tiniest living things that share my life. Through June and July of this summer, I hand-fed a cockatiel chick and three orphaned cottontails, waited 21 long days for a first-time broody hen’s eggs to hatch, and eagerly watched as heirloom vegetable seeds transformed into prickly squash plants, exuberant bush beans, and delicate watermelon vines. 

I could lose all track of time engrossed in the fragile blossoming of life that surrounded me, and it lingered like the blinding glare of sun on water when I tried to focus on my livelihood—reading, writing, and editing. Every session at the keyboard felt like a battle. My thoughts touched down on the page only to take off immediately and flit like a sugar-high butterfly from one concern or delight to another. Should I try feeding that littlest bunny a few more CCs? Is it too soon to check the eggs again? How long has it been since I weeded the tomato patch?

“Deep focus” was my lovely dream, but for weeks on end, I was unable to achieve it.

We don’t often take the time to break it down, but basically, a distraction is any other thing that draws our attention away from the one thing we’re trying to focus on. Obviously, they are everywhere. They're also not inherently bad. Sometimes, they may even be necessary. The key to keeping them from completely sabotaging your productivity (and sanity) is to actively deal with them rather than pushing them to the periphery of your mind.

I tried many different ways of dealing with my distraction over the summer and eventually narrowed it down to two basic strategies that worked for me. If you struggle with sifting important or delightful “distractions” out of your work time, you may find that these strategies work for you as well.

​Strategy #1—Stop and Give Them Time

​When your mind is spinning in a hundred different directions, it can be hugely helpful to stop trying to focus on the one thing that doesn’t matter to it in the moment. Let your distractions become your focus for fifteen minutes to an hour to two hours—depending on how much time you can allot them. I do this in several different ways.

• Journal. Take a few minutes to write down everything that is drawing your attention. Brain dump. Make lists. Fess up to your frustration, worry, or lack of attention. If necessary and possible, write your way through a particular concern or plan until there’s nothing left to think about it.
• Step Away. Take a walk or do a fifteen-minute workout routine. Lay back, close your eyes, and listen to your favorite song all the way through. Give your mind a chance to clear and gain perspective.
• Check Things Off. Let your current “focus” go long enough to take care of whichever “distractions” feel most pressing. Tidy your space, feed the dog, write that email, do a load of laundry. You’ll return to your work with a clearer head and will likely get more done than if you had struggled to stick with it rather than walking away.

Strategy #2—Make Them Wait Their Turn

At other times, it’s better to stick with your current focus, but you still need to address distractions head-on. Do so by promising them time—just not this time.

• Write it Down. Keep a pad of paper nearby where you can jot down any thoughts or tasks that intrude when you’re supposed to be working on something else. Stop what you’re doing just long enough to write them down, then dismiss them and get back to work.
  
• Set a Timer. Set a timer and don’t allow yourself to move on from the task at hand until it goes off. This was especially helpful for me this summer when I had baby creatures to feed every 90 minutes or so. A set timer kept me from constantly checking them or the clock and being concerned that I would miss a feeding. If necessary, you can also set a timer for how long you can spend on something else before getting back to your main focus.​

These are just two strategies that worked for me this summer, and they may not work for everyone. They are based on tried-and-true research, however, so they are worth a try if you, like me, struggle to focus. My main advice to myself and anyone reading this is: Don’t become so frustrated by distractions in your life that you forget they are important in their own right. Your children or pets, household chores, and the natural world—everything is beautiful in it’s time.