How to minimize digital distractions for meaningful connections

What’s that?

How many times during a conversation does the distraction device in your pocket emit an alert, and you check it and then look back to the other person and ask, “Sorry, what were you saying?”

Was that alert that important? You made the conscious decision to be in that interpersonal conversation only to abandon it for a digital interaction.

Why? Are you distracted? Too much swimming around in your head? In the modern, fast-paced world, we all have a bit of an attention problem, and I believe that we have created it for ourselves.

That’s not to say that all distractions are bad. When you drive and you are focused on the road ahead, you are seeking distractions. How’s that, you ask? Think brake lights, merging traffic, potholes and debris on the roadway. Those are good distractions.

Take it one step further and think about sunrises and sunsets. They happen every day, but we notice them more distinctly from time to time. How about flower blooms in the springtime? You notice them as you pass; possibly you stop and enjoy them for a moment. Those seem like good distractions to me.

But for every good distraction, there is a multitude of bad distractions. The evil cousin on the other side of the coin.

Here are a few items that can pull your focus away from life. Full disclosure: I am guilty of all of these from time to time.

There are emails, phone calls, texts and the dreaded doomscrolling on social media that can suck away your time like a black hole.

Why do we do it, then? Is it the eternal hope that we will see something good, capture a nugget of knowledge or get that dopamine hit from a digital interaction with a partner, friend or child?

Or do we do it because we are bored with our current task?

We all need focus to be able to complete tasks and interact with others. And if you think that multitasking is your life hack to get around this, think again. According to some experts, only 2.5 percent of humans can actually, effectively multitask. If you are one of those people, then you, my friend, can stop reading. There are numerous studies that prove that multitasking is not only a myth but can have negative effects on the brain’s ability to focus, function and create new ideas. Give it a try; Google “can you really multitask.”

Here is my challenge to all of you multitasking folks – stop. Use your energy to produce better work and ideas. Focus on one thing at a time – maybe not for a long time, but one at a time.

Turn off some of those notifications. Silence the phone and the laptop speakers so that you’re less likely to be pulled off to something else mid-project. Those messages will still be there.

Give your mind the space and time that it needs to be creative and produce your best work. While you’re at it, you might even be lucky enough to have an uninterrupted and meaningful conversation with a loved one.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Let’s work on your upgrade.

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Aaron Huizenga is East Division manager for Lakes Gas in Wisconsin. Reach him at ahuizenga@lakesgas.com.