Presence is an amazing thing once you are able to eliminate distractions and appreciate the current moment.
Unfortunately, life in the 21st century is hectic (to say the least). With so many things to do and so many places to be, we often forget to remember to, on occasion, sit back and enjoy life for what it is. For many of us, we’re bombarded with so many distractions that we can’t sit in the present moment for even 5 minutes.
There are countless distractions out there, and many vary from person to person, but if you take a step back, you’ll see some common culprits in society as a whole.
Today, we will take a look at the top 21 distractions that are preventing you from enjoying life. As we discuss these, its important to keep in mind that many of these things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves – it’s more about how they’re used (or abused).
[content_upgrade]Content Upgrade Error: You don't have any lists.[/content_upgrade]1. Meaningless To-Do Lists
We start off the list with something that can be very helpful for the day-to-day – to do lists. However, many people fill up their to-do lists with endless tasks that add no value to their lives. Sometimes, we just add tasks because there is a void in our lives or we’re avoiding something more important.
In either case, meaningless tasks can become unhealthy distractions that prevent us from actually living. This was one of the problems I actually addressed in To-Do List Mastery Blueprint.
2. Smartphones
If there is one piece of technology that has revolutionized the way we do life, it’s the smartphone. There is no denying that smartphones can and do rule some people’s lives. In fact, we often rely on our smartphones so much that personal interaction – something which is integral to human happiness and fulfillment – is rendered practically unnecessary. In short, smartphones can literally rob us of our presence.
3. Social Media
If there are two technological innovations that have revolutionized the way we interact, they are the smartphone and social media. Social media, just like a smartphone, can have a significant impact on your mental well-being. In particular, social media is a notorious depressant. Reading about your friends falsely glamorized life can truly dishearten you in many unnoticeable ways and can be a serious distraction.
4. Email
Email, while not as dynamic as social media, can just as easily suck up all our time. Emails are where a large majority of our business transactions are discussed and so we can often times neglect our own life in anxiety, hoping for a good email. Other times, we just get so stuck in this “reactive email mode” that we lose sight of what’s most important to us.
5. Mind Chatter
Our brains can be extremely noisy. For some, it’s partially the result of a genetic predisposition (like for those of us living with ADHD). For others, it’s a byproduct of living in a fast-paced, stimuli-crazed world. The outcome is the same, though. Your brain uses vital resources occupying random, sometimes repetitive thoughts, when it could be used for more important ones. Some good examples of this “monkey mind” are: assumptions, “what-if’s,” random to-do’s, and recurring scenes or words you recently experienced.
6. Negative Self-Thoughts
Thinking negatively is, very clearly, one of the worst things you can do for self-esteem and it can be a serious distraction from both your everyday responsibilities and your enjoyment of life as a whole. Some example of negative self-thoughts would be rationalizing why things are the way they are, blaming yourself, amplifying negative feedback while ignoring the positive, and assuming the worst. Here is a great article on the topic called The Psychology Of Self-Esteem: Negative Thoughts Can Ruin Your Life.
7. Job Dissatisfaction
Nothing can be quite as laborious on the mind as a job that you dislike. Job dissatisfaction is a huge distraction preventing from you being able to enjoy life as a whole because the prospect of it looms for as long as you are employed, resulting in continued feelings such as depression, resentment, and a sense of entrapment. It’s really hard to have presence in or outside of work when you’re unhappy with your job.
8. Sleep Deprivation
You know when your body doesn’t get enough sleep. You’re obviously tired. On top of that, you’re irritable, more prone to accidents, more susceptible to health problems, forgetful, impulsive, and unable to focus, especially on mentally-intensive tasks. The fatigue and all of the fun little problems that go with it serve as a continuous distraction that only worsens with increased sleep deprivation.
9. Abrasiveness
As a result of too little sleep, poor diet, pessimism, and/or other factors, we can become extremely abrasive. We can easily slip into a state of perpetual crabbiness and grumpiness that can have a severe impact on our relationships and can enter us into a horrendous cycle of depression. If we want to enjoy life, we need to not only take control of our health and wellness, but figure out what’s putting us in this constant state of abrasiveness.
10. Too Much Work
Having a job can definitely be a good thing and having a good paying job can help minimize other distractions on the list (see #7). However, doing too much work can rob us of our free time with friends and family, and prevent us from being present when we finally do get free time. It’s important for us to know our limits and to abide by them.
11. Loneliness
Relationships are – as I said – integral to one’s personal well-being. Thus, it should come as absolutely no surprise that loneliness can be a severely crippling hindrance to one’s well-being. Without deep and healthy relationships, we are prone to unique forms of depression that will cause us harm both in the long and short term. Some of the other distractions on this list – namely, smartphones and social media – can further perpetuate loneliness.
12. Financial Instability
Money is a big issue in today’s society. Being financially stable is a big concern of almost all people as it provides a critical sense of peace-of-mind. Being financially unstable can, as you might expect, disconcert many of us and make us very worried such that we neglect other parts of our life to ensure we become financially sound.
13. Perfectionism
Perfectionism is the often overlooked thief of your time. In the pursuit of trying to make something 100% perfect, we often sacrifice our time and forget about other important parts of our life. In fact, we get swept up in it, focusing on the smallest, most intricate details until we forget why we started it to begin with. The sad thing is that most of the time we don’t even need 100% to achieve the outcome we’re looking for.
14. Inability to Cope with Failure
Coping with failure is one of the biggest keys to becoming successful. No successful person has ever failed to fail and some have failed more times than you can imagine. Without failing, though, they wouldn’t have become successful or at least made it as far as they did. Thus, those of us who are incapable of coping with failures subconsciously preempt ourselves from being able to succeed.
15. Too Much “Macro Focus”
In the early stages of planning, we as humans are often prone to put a lot of emphasis on the end result of a project (the macro level). It gets us pumped up and gives us something to look forward to. Then, we start taking steps toward that destination and all of a sudden, we begin to dread the process. Worse, we may even give up. It’s important to know the end result, but don’t let it distract you from enjoying the process. Don’t let it prevent you from enjoying the journey.
16. Procrastination
Endemic procrastination is one of the biggest catalysts of depression in our society as it makes life seem so much more unmanageable. Just think about it. Your mind is sitting there brewing over something that needs to be done, and instead of doing it, you stir over reasons why you shouldn’t and then act on those reasons instead. Overcoming procrastination is a must if we are to enjoy life to the fullest extent. Luckily I have a free workbook available called Breaking Through Procrastination for those of you that want to further explore this topic.
17. Focusing on What You Don’t Have
Its a natural tendency in humans to focus incessantly on that which we don’t have. This mindset is a potent distraction from us focusing on what we do have, especially if we want something really bad and have a really strong emotional pull toward it.
18. Chores
Chores tend to pile up, don’t they? There is no question that coming home to house that needs cleaning can be a huge distraction from your ability to appreciate life. Of course, if you’re the type that enjoys filth or disorganization, that’s a different story altogether.
19. Nervousness
If we allow ourselves to become overly nervous – be it in relationships, deadlines, performance, etc. – we take away from our ability to enjoy experiences that may not come about often. Nervousness is perfectly normal in many situations (like a first date or day one of a new job), but if you let it consume you, it not only prevents you from fully enjoying the experience, but it could also psyche you out and set you up for failure before you even begin.
20. Fear
Fear overlaps with many of the other items on this list, especially nervousness. It can be rational or irrational, and manifest in a multitude of ways. Of course, fears don’t necessarily require an upcoming event to distract you from the present moment. You could just happen to see or hear something that reminded you of a fear, and then become distracted by just the thought of that fear for the remainder of the day.
21. Addictions
Unquestionably, addictions are one of the biggest distractions preventing us from fully enjoying life. Whether it be in the form of drugs, alcohol, video games, TV, etc., addictions are extremely dangerous and are primed to overtake us if we don’t get help.
Do any of these distractions look familiar to you? If you’ve been alive for any significant amount of time, I’m sure you’ll nod at several of them.
In addition, you may have noticed that it’s easier to experience true presence when the distractions go away. This is because your mind is able to focus, and not be pulled in a million different directions.
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What distractions are you facing today? Share in the comments below.
