If you feel like you’re constantly distracted in the workplace, you’re not alone. Most of us fall victim to multitasking, regularly checking our smartphones and emails throughout the day.
Constant connectivity through immersive technology makes it nearly impossible to maintain focus on a single task for extended periods. It might even feel unnatural to do so, but deep work is crucial to achieving meaningful outcomes in your work.
So, how do we switch off and be fully present in the moment during important tasks throughout our workday? In this blog, we explore the benefits of deep work and strategies to start implementing more deep work throughout your day.
What is Deep Work?
Deep work is distraction-free concentration that allows you to learn and create quality work quickly. It’s characterised by:
- Distraction-free work – no checking emails, notifications
- Cognitively demanding – work tasks that test your mental abilities
- Time-sensitive sessions – typically 60-90 minutes in duration of uninterrupted work
- Quality output – work that is of a high standard or improves your performance
If you’ve ever engaged in work that involves deep concentration, a flow-like state and boosted productivity, you’ve experienced “deep work.” It’s a term originally coined by Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. The concept has since been adopted widely to engage more fully with work and block out modern (unhelpful and unrewarding) distractions.
Deep Work V’s Shallow Work
While deep work requires full concentration, shallow work can be achieved while distracted because it requires less cognitive load and is often logistical in nature. Administrative tasks, meetings, emailing, status updates, and data entry are common “shallow work” tasks.
The key characteristics of shallow work include:
- Logistical tasks that require little concentration
- Routine, repetitive
- Maintains processes
- Easily taught
- Can be done in short bursts
- Does not meaningfully improve your skills
- Can fill gaps between “deep work” sessions
Benefits of Deep Work
The ability to engage in deep work is highly beneficial in the workplace, boosting your productivity and performance, but it also feels really good. It’s a practice you can also carry over into your personal life, being more present for friends, loved ones, and personal pursuits that are important to you.
- Higher quality of work
- Increased productivity
- Improved concentration and mental clarity
- Reduced stress and burnout
- Better learning and skill development
- Greater creativity
- Stronger career performance
- Meaningful work satisfaction
Deep Work Strategies
So, you’d like to build deep work into your work schedule? Your mind is a muscle, so you can increasingly build your capacity for deep work through practice and consistency. The following are six “deep work” strategies to help you establish this routine.
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Time Blocking
If you can schedule two to three 90-minute deep-work sessions per day into your work calendar, you’ll find you can focus on what matters most. You’ll also produce quality work in less time.
When you intersperse ‘Deep Work’ sessions between ‘Shallow Work’, you take back control of your day and reduce time-wasting task switching, which gives you the luxury of full attention to important tasks.
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Reduce Digital Distractions – Use Focus Apps
Distractions are the enemy of deep work, so make sure you put your smartphone on Do Not Disturb mode and close email and messaging apps for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on how long you want to engage in deep work.
If you work in a busy office, block out your calendar for those times during the workday and let everyone know you don’t want to be interrupted unless it’s urgent.
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Create Focus Rituals
Focus rituals are small habits that signal to your brain that it’s time to concentrate. In a highly distracting workplace, these rituals make it easier for you to tune out from all the noise and gradually increase your capacity for concentration over time. You can experiment and find the right rituals for you, but here are a few popular rituals to try.
- Put on headphones and listen to a deep work playlist (instrumental, binaural beats, or ambient electron music are good choices)
- Turn off notifications (set your smartphone to Do Not Disturb)
- Clear your desk and desktop of clutter (have only essential tabs)
- Write down one clear priority before commencing your session
- Set a timer for 60-90 minutes to mark the start of your session
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Task Grouping
Group tasking involves completing tasks together in dedicated blocks of time. It reduces task switching, which is a time-waster. Instead of replying to emails, scheduling meetings and working on a report at the same time, you batch similar tasks, such as handling administrative tasks in one session and report writing in another. It’s a huge efficiency booster, improves your focus and greatly reduces mental fatigue.
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Set Communication Boundaries
When you set clear communication boundaries, you improve your chances of successfully engaging in deep work. These boundaries will set the expectation that you are unavailable, reducing interruptions and protecting your focused work. In a distracting workplace, these boundaries also improve your productivity, mental health, and concentration without compromising collaboration.
You can set communication boundaries by:
- Scheduling specific times to check emails and messages
- Use ‘Do Not Disturb’ for ‘Focus’ status
- Block out focus time in your calendar and share with your co-workers
- Let colleagues know your preferred response times
- Encourage non-urgent communication through asynchronous channels rather than instant replies.
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Prioritise Important Work Early
Prioritising makes sure you focus your time efficiently. You need to consider what single task is the most demanding or is ‘high value’ for that work week, so you can manage your energy accordingly. If you’re a morning person, it makes sense to schedule your high-focus time before lunchtime. Conversely, if you come alive in the afternoon, it’s best to schedule more intensive cognitive tasks for later in the day.
You can prioritise important work early by:
- Identify your top priority task at the beginning of your workday
- Schedule deep work sessions when you are most energetic
- Avoid checking emails or messages immediately after starting work
- Review progress on important tasks before moving on to shallow work
In today’s distracted workplace environments, the ‘always on’ mentality can destroy the focus you need to achieve great work that you can be proud of. We hope you have gained some insight into what deep work is and how to implement practical strategies to get started in your professional life. But deep work is a huge topic, so we encourage you to explore it further to ensure the ‘busyness’ of your work day doesn’t compromise your full potential.
Can we help you find your new direction? Simply contact one of our friendly Course Consultants on 1300 76 2221, via Live Chat, or visit our website for more information.
