How To Keep Those Ultra-Distracting Texts From Stealing Your Attention

We've all been there: You wake up, crush your morning routine, and commit to having a totally productive, distraction-free workday. And then, suddenly, your phone buzzes and those unread text messages begin to steal your attention. 

Just because you've decided to fully engage in one task at a time (what Wine likes to call "monotasking") doesn't mean everyone else is going to stop texting you, he says. So, in that instance, you can choose one of two options. 

"You could decide to monotask that text and say, 'I'm going to put down what I'm doing and I'm going to engage in that conversation,'" Wine says. "Or you could say 'No, I'm going to keep monotasking this presentation I'm doing for work, and I'm going to respond three hours from now.'" 

The key to either scenario is that you're avoiding multitasking, which neurologists say can actually affect cognitive function—and will most likely feel overwhelming.

If it's possible to turn off your phone or keep it in a different room during your monotasking, then that's a pretty obvious solution. However, some people need to keep their cells nearby, whether it's to take a call during the day or to play some focus-enhancing music.