3 Ways to Be Productive and Create a Distraction-Free Online Workspace During the Election Season

With the nation crashing head-first into another contentious election, news alerts seem to populate every square inch of everyone’s screens. If you feel the constant updates drive you up the wall, you’re likely not the only one.

According to the American Psychological Association, media overload can be damaging to mental health, leading to higher rates of emotional distress. However, it can be hard to unplug, especially with the upcoming US presidential election and a busy holiday season right around the corner. Maintaining productivity can feel like a monumental task as everybody hustles to stay ahead of deadlines at their office.

Sabrina Banadyga, a productivity expert from Shift Browser, has some tips for those who want to keep up with productivity without losing their heads. As holiday sales pop off and election madness swarms the news, these techniques for better online behavior can help you avoid the headaches of information overload.

1.   Reduce Distractions While Surfing

The internet is full of distractions. Many businesses and social media sites have worked for years to finetune their web pages and alerts to grab your attention, and they’ve gotten good at it, too. It pays to stay on task when you open your phone browser or boot up your computer. Instead of switching between browser tabs, try sticking to what needs to be done. Close that tab once you’ve read that article, sent that email, or completed that Amazon purchase.

2.   Keep Your Topics Separated

Maintaining a dashboard that gives you all your notifications at once is tempting, including breaking news headlines, emails, DMs, new sales deals on sofas, etc. However, all that information could be draining your mental energy and cost you hours of time wasted. It can be hard to focus on work or a personal task when you’ve just got an alert of an impending Wall Street disaster or the tenth political meme sent by Sue.

Some browser platforms, such as Shift, allow users to create workspaces dedicated to different topics. By keeping issues like holiday shopping, news, work, and personal life separate, people won’t feel as overwhelmed and overstimulated every time they turn the computer on.

3.   Create Focus Hours for Work Times

As addicting as a constant onslaught of notifications can be, it doesn’t help with productivity to keep getting pop-ups in the corner of your screen. Custom notifications with set quiet hours can be a boon to your work and personal life. Instead of scrambling your attention across multiple sites and apps, muting notifications can help you clear your mind and stay on task.

Whether you need to finish a work report or want to stay focused while finishing your Christmas list, focus hours can help you get through the crunch quicker.

A Better Way of Browsing

Sometimes, keeping up productivity starts with a distraction-free browser. The Shift power browser can help you follow the three tips above. Offering a personalized browsing experience, Shift has options for customized workspaces and notifications.

One of Shift’s popular features is its ability to integrate apps into its platform. This creates a seamless experience that helps you search the web, organize tabs, connect to your favorite apps, and manage multiple emails in one window, reducing the time spent switching cognitive tasks.

More Mindfulness in a Chaotic Age

The internet age has gotten louder than ever, with manic news cycles, social media alerts, holiday sales, and more hitting everyone’s screens. Multiple apps and news sites can pull your attention in twelve different ways, but that doesn’t mean your work doesn’t need doing. No matter what strategies you decide to use to keep your sanity, remember that it’s okay to log off or even take a short digital detox in order to reduce stress, anxiety, and mental strain.