Distractions are an inevitable part of your day. Even if you attempt to reduce potential distractions, your thoughts, emotions, and unexpected interruptions can pull you away from what you are doing and disrupt your flow.
However, you can teach your brain to automatically stop distractions from throwing you off track and hijacking your focus using a simple mindfulness technique call the ABC method.
When you notice a distraction, begin with the “A” of the ABC Method.
“A” represents awareness. This allows you to pause whatever you’re doing at the moment and recognize the distraction. You might say to yourself, “Here is a distraction, and I have a choice to make.”
“B” stands for breathing deeply and reflecting on your options. Do you want to deal with the distraction or interruption right now or dismiss it?
“C” stands for choosing mindfully how you want to handle the distraction. If you choose to dismiss it, you simply refocus your attention on the task at hand. If you decide to address the distraction or interruption, you are doing so consciously, rather than automatically allowing it to derail you.