Be careful of distractions

We hear all the time about the typical distractions. We are warned not to let social media, gaming, and our phone, in general, take up too much of our time. We can become distracted by watching too much television or Netflix. Are there other distractions though that we don’t even realize are distractions? Aren’t those the most dangerous because we don’t even recognize them for what they are?

The definition of a distraction is something that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else, or a mental intrusion. What are the distractions in your life? Here are a few of the distractions that can cause you to lose your focus. They might be things that you don’t even realize are distractions.

Negative self-talk

Pay attention to how you talk to yourself or about yourself. Do you tear yourself down, and use demeaning language like, “I am so stupid. “or “Of course, I did it wrong.”? The negative language is holding you back and making you feel less than because if you say something enough, you will believe it, and the negative language is distracting you from being all you could be.

Every time you think a negative thought about yourself, change it to a positive. Start your thoughts with I am, or I can, and finish with a positive. You are a rockstar, so start talking to yourself like one. You will feel more confident and happier, and that will make you more productive.

Toxic people

I have wasted too much time in my life thinking about toxic people and allowing them to wreak havoc with my emotions. Toxic people can be hateful, they can be people who have an unhealthy need to compete with you, they can be friends who turn out not to be, and they can just be people who make your life unpleasant.

Toxic people can be a major distraction if you let them, but you can decide not to allow them to affect you. They hate being ignored and not seeing a reaction from us. Distance yourself from the person if you can, let the emotions they cause you go, and experience the freedom you will feel when you don’t have the feeling of conflict or that person in your life. When you continually replay the negative interactions in your mind, it is a distraction keeping you from doing something more constructive. Here is an example I experienced.

As a runner, I see healthy competition when two people push each other to be better, but neither one is really upset when the other person comes…