There are a number of distractions prevalent in office environments–loud printers, ringing phones, and chatting coworkers. Some people can work in noisy environments without a problem, but others find it too difficult to concentrate and for many, this can be a challenge in the workplace. 
There are a number of reasons it’s tough to be an employee who needs silence and limited distractions to work–after all, you can’t just tell your entire office to be quiet or make the phones stop ringing. You don’t want your work environment to affect your progress, but it can also be hard to stay on task. A post on Careerealism recently explored this problem, and offered a few tips for how to stay focused in a distracting workplace. Check out three of them below:
1. Wear earphones or earplugs. If you can work while listening to music–and your workplace permits it–try wearing earphones to drown out the distractions of the office. Instrumental music can often help some people to concentrate. Earplugs can also help–even if they look a bit silly, they’ll block out noise and signal to other employees that you’re busy so they won’t be prompted to interrupt you.
2. Schedule social media use. As Careerealism puts it, “The best and worst thing about the Internet is that there’s always something new to look at.” Sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr can be endlessly distracting when you’re trying to focus on your work, so if you find yourself constantly checking these sites, try setting aside a specific time for social networking–perhaps on your lunch break or during the last half hour of the day, once you’ve completed other work.
3. Leave. If you just can’t focus in the office, try getting out of the office. Take your laptop to a café or ask your boss if you could take a day to work from home. Sometimes it’s best to get away from the entire situation to clear your head and redefine your focus.
You can check out more tips for focusing in a distracting workplace on Careerealism here.
What are some tricks you use to stay focused in a distracting workplace? Share your tips in a comment below.
