Everyone faces distractions and they always seem to be the worst when we're trying to get work done. I'm going to go over my top three, that you may or may not relate to, and how I handle them.

My first distraction: my cats. If you tell me your pet doesn't distract you when you're trying to work, I wouldn't believe you. I don't think anyone would believe you, honestly, not even yourself. I have eight cats and they love getting attention and I love to give it. But it becomes a problem when their idea of getting attention means walking all across the laptop while work documents are open for editing. It's the worst and as often as I pick them up to move them aside, they come right back more determined than ever. My solution: give them attention.

No seriously! At the point when they're bothering me, I probably could use a break from my work anyway, so why not take about five minutes away from the screen to give them a little cuddle? They get what they want and I get a boost of energy when returning to what I was doing. That little five-minute break can reset your mind, spark an idea, and give you that destressing moment you so greatly needed. It's a win-win situation (though I admit sometimes they still bother me afterward. But hey, you can't win them all!)

My second distraction is more of an internal one, and it's these ones I find are a little more complicated to deal with. I'm zoning out, thinking about dinner, planning for events weeks away, rather than focusing on the now and what's right in front of me. I usually have a simple fix for this: take a sip of water, write out a checklist, and put on some music. It almost always does the trick and helps me to focus to get what I need done. Sometimes even a walk around benefits me and gives me a quick break to destress. Though it doesn't always work and if it doesn't, I take it as a sign to just stop whatever I'm doing and come back to it later when my head is in the right place.

The third distraction: Instagram reels. Did you guess that? You probably did, didn't you? Instagram reels are the new Tiktok. I can spend what I say will only be a few minutes to hours, just scrolling through reels. I'm constantly on there for the sole purpose of taking notes on audios that are trending and to get ideas for my own reels. But I get sucked into the world and I just don't want to leave. My solution for this is to work out a schedule and strength up your willpower. Plan a few minutes for scrolling and then know when, and follow through with calling it quits. Not the best solution, but it works for me. (Sometimes.)

What are some of your distractions? Do we share some of the same? How do you deal with them?