Distraction Got You Feeling Guilty?

(read time: 2.5 min)

Focus! They told you as a kid. Don't get distracted! Stay on track! But wait, says science, a little distraction is good.

YOUR BOOST

Take a break from your hyper-focused work today to let your brain play and explore, AND sideline that guilt while you do it.

THE SCIENCE

New research points to the hidden benefits of self-control failures (aka distractions). Specifically when the distraction is a form of exploration, it can set the brain up for success later.

“Self-control enables people to override momentary thoughts, emotions, or impulses in order to pursue long-term goals." Says Dr. Wiesner and co-authors of the recent study published in PLOS ONE.

But... if self-control so beneficial, why didn't we evolve to have perfect self-control?

To answer this question, I want you to think about a recent time when you were headed somewhere, but you weren't in a hurry. You had your destination in mind, but you were in the moment. You allowed yourself the pleasure of exploring, noticing the shops, the trees, the people.

Then, sometime later, you found yourself in that area again. That detour you took, technically a self-control failure, actually helped you, because now you know exactly where to go next.

This is what this psychological data shows. "Exerting self-control to focus on a task... is like staring through a narrow tube. The goal is clearly visible, but the surrounding world is not. Self-control failure [distraction] broadens the view and helps us to be aware of things in the environment that may become relevant later."

HOW THIS AFFECTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

So why do you feel so guilty when you get distracted? It comes back to the should police (aka your Superego). Becasue the benefit of distractions is not immediate, you have been conditioned to think of distractions as the enemy of progress. Truly, it is difficult to measure future returns on the time spent wandering, making it difficult to justify distractions in the moment. On so on comes the guilt.

TAKE HOME

Today's detour is the universe's gift to you so that you can solve tomorrow's problem. Learn to trust yourself that distractions will in fact come back to support you. If you can do that, you will find that you stop feeling guilty and start taking full advantage of your expansive mind.

No shame, no guilt, just more good days.

-Nicole