Productivity Tip: Dead Zones

Have you ever driven through a certain area and found that no matter how hard you tried or how high you held your cell phone up in the air you just couldn’t get a signal. These places are known as “dead zones” and they’re labeled as such simply because they are know for being spots where technology and various communication devices (such as cell phones, radios, and the like) break down and stop functioning. A dead zone, though often considered an inconvenience in our modern day society can actually be very helpful when it comes to productivity.

Dead zones are useful when you absolutely have to get some work done and cannot handle any interruptions or disturbances. While it’s not ideal to actually go out and find a real dead zone somewhere in your area it can be quite useful to recreate one for a little while and see what kind of results to have and whether or not it serves as a useful tool for you in your life and work.

The best way to do this is to simply start with the basics. Turn your cell phone off. Unplug any landlines you might have. Disconnect your internet. Let family and friends know that this isn’t the time to call or come knocking because you’re getting some work done. Unplug any appliances that might serve as distractions or disturbances while you’re trying to get your work done.

Once you’ve got all of this done gather everything you might need during the period of time you’ve set aside for work such as some snacks or a drink, all the materials you require for your work and so on. Once you have all these items set yourself up in a place where you have access to anything else you might require such as a computer or a printer, or whatever it might be. After you’ve done that take some measures to be sure you wont be interrupted. Does your neighbor have a habit of talking to you through your open office window? Do the kids tend to come barging in the door after school? Does one of your coworkers like to randomly come in the office, plop down on the sofa and chat for an hour or so? Whatever your common interruptions are make sure to take measures to guard against them at least for the next little while when you’ll b doing your work.

Once you’ve taken these measure to put yourself in a make-shift dead zone take the opportunity to get as much work done as you can while you have the opportunity and make sure that you don’t succumb to an possible distractions that might surface. Don’t be tempted to turn your cell phone back on, plug in the internet, or check your inbox. Whatever is waiting in any of those places will be waiting for you when you’re done with your work - trust me, it isn’t going anywhere. It will be uncomfortable at first to be so cut off from all your communication devices but soon you’ll be just fine and you might even grow to like it.