Once upon a time, I was happily distracted at my desk, reading a list of blog post ideas when I probably should have been doing just about anything else. So I rather liked the irony that one of the ideas on the list was to write about my top distractions.
I firmly believe that distractions are a necessary evil for creative types. As annoying as it is to get stuck going down a rabbit hole and not actually do anything productive, sometimes it’s just what your brain needs to find its next best idea!
So just for fun, and because I was distracted, here are my top distractions and why I love them.
I mean…this one isn’t really a surprise. It’s hands-down the hub of all social activity for this blog. And I can’t even start to tell you how much of a distraction it is for me.
Too often, I catch myself just sitting there and staring at my feed, sifting through what people post and generally envying flatlay skills. And more often than not, it gives me inspiration for my own creations!
Actually, I have a Saved folder called Insta-spiration where I save things from all kinds of niches (#bookstagram is a personal favourite). That’s pretty much the entire purpose of the Saved section for me. Or, well, that and saving workout videos that I never actually try.
Video games
Also not really a surprise. It’s pretty common for me to get myself mildly spun up over how much stuff I have to do, and solve all my problems in life by logging into Final Fantasy XIV or the Sims. And then, when I realize it’s been four hours and I still technically need to do all the things, I start stressing again.
Usually, though, in the time I’m playing, I come up with several more ideas for things to do, or find a beautiful view that inspires a half-dozen screenshots. So it’s absolutely worth it.
Also may or may not be exactly why my crafters are always max level…
Feedly
If you’re not familiar with Feedly, it’s basically a centralized RSS feed where you can follow websites and organize all their posts into fun, easy-to-skim feeds and cards. It’s what I use to find industry news and random things to share on social media.
And my goodness, is it a rabbit hole for me.
I use it for social media at work, and on that feed, I follow things like Entrepreneur and Fast Company. Which means it’s incredibly easy for me to fall into reading clickbait titles and feeling like I know everything.
Although I never actually do know everything, I do usually end up learning at least one little tidbit!
My to-do list
I am the queen of to-do lists. Like to the point that I have a main to-do list, with everything I need to do, and what I call a tunnel-vision to-do list, where I write down up to five things that I need to prioritize before I can do the rest of the list.
True story.
I like using lists because I’m a very visual person, and it helps me actually see what I need to get done. Plus, you know, who doesn’t like crossing something off the list?
They’re also a huge source of distraction for me on some days, especially when I have a lot to do. Because what I’ll do is sit there and flip between different little tasks that I think will be easy but never actually finish any of them and then get nothing done.
This one’s maybe not so good for me, but at the very least, it’s a lesson about myself and how I handle overwhelm. Which I can then use to try and, you know, not get so overwhelmed.
Bird videos
Some people get distracted by cat videos. Not me.
Normally, I’m not one to watch videos. I don’t know what it is about them, but sometimes they trigger my anxiety, especially when I don’t know what sounds they’re going to make.
But especially when I know I need to go to bed, or when I’m waiting for a party queue in FFXIV, I love watching bird videos. They don’t do anything for my creativity, but they’re just so pure that I can’t help but smile!
YOUR TURN
