How do you minimize workplace distractions?

If it is about the necessity to focus in your job at office place:

• to set auto-reply function on your phone,
• to inform colleagues that you are going to a project site, while actually to sneak into your office,
• to lock the door, with a sign outside 'Please do not disturb', or 'I come back tomorrow'.

If it is about project site, instruct properly your watchmen, and they will not let any distraction enter the site area.

There are several ways and techniques to reduce workplace distractions. The following techniques are quite realistic and manageable:

1.     Please go to office one hour earlier (or work for one hour after office hours-if possible) so you have one hour of quiet time.

2.     Switch off all communication devices i.e. mobile phone, email, and social media for one hour so that you can concentrate without distractions.

3.     Be prepared to say “NO” politely and say you would call him back after one hour- note it on a sticky pad so that you would not forget to call.

4.     Keep you snacks and drinks very close to you so that you do not need to get up

               5.     Be mentally focused on what you need to accomplish and pursue till finished.

1) Minimize use of phone

2) Avoid employee gossip

3)  Restrict workplace to open personal website

4) Proper allocation of work.

5) Timely motivation

Well, we all face distractions on a daily basis. Distractions not only lower our productivity, they also increase our stress.

You probably already know what distracts you the most – phone calls, emails, instant messages, Internet browsing, interrupting co-workers, and so on. Strategies like scheduling email checks, turning off your phone, and leaving the office for a quieter environment may eliminate distractions so that you get more done.

Try several strategies to find the ones that work, and then stick to them..

Learning how to minimize distractions can dramatically increase your productivity and effectiveness, as well as reduce your stress. Without distractions, you can get into flow, produce high-quality work, and achieve much more during the day.

In this article, we'll discuss the most common distractions we face at work, and we'll look at strategies for minimizing or eliminating them.

 Manage your Emails.

·         Schedule "email" times 

·         Check and respond to email at "low productivity" times –

·         Turn emails into actions 

·         Keep your email program closed 

 Manager Instant Messaging (IM)

 Also, if you find yourself distracted by IM, consider setting specific times during the day for being "online." Then, when you don't want to be contacted, leave it off or set your status to "busy." If people need to contact you, make sure they know your "hours" for IM.

 Manager Phone Calls

 The ring of the phone has become almost like Pavlov's bell for some people – we think we must answer it, even if we're concentrating on  something important.

Minimize phone call distractions by turning off your phone during your peak work hours. Or, let your team know that you won't take non-essential calls between specific times, such as from noon to2 p.m.

Alternatively, get people into the habit of using IM to check with co-workers that they are OK to take a call. If co-workers are deep in concentration, they can ask to "talk in minutes" without losing the thread of their work.

 Manage the Internet

 Browsing the web can take up enormous amounts of time from our day, and when we start looking on the Internet for one thing, it's easy to get lost for minutes or more.

·         Read the news before the start of the day 

·         Close your Internet

·         Use special Take short Internet

 Manager Other People

Co-workers often create the greatest distractions.

·         Close your door 

·         Use headphones 

·         Talk to the disrupter that you are disrupting me

 Manager Work Environment

 Windows, a busy highway, or loud co-workers may all contribute to a distracting work environment.

 Work in another location 

·         Use "white noise" – If noise is a problem, install padded partitions, or consider buying a sound machine that produces white noise to cover annoying sounds. Noise-canceling headphones with soft music can also improve your focus. You can also download white noise files from the Internet and set them on "repeat." Having white noise play constantly helps block unwanted sounds.

 Manage Other Projects and Tasks

·         Prioritize your To-Do List 

·         Track your

·         Delegate 

 Manage your Tiredness

 Coming to work well rested is vital to having a productive day.

·         Get enough sleep – Many people don't get enough sleep at night. When you're tired, it's very easy to become distracted.

·         Stay hydrated – When you don't drink enough water and you become dehydrated, you may not think clearly. Dehydration can also make you feel tired and less alert. Keep a water bottle on your desk, and drink regularly during the day.

·         Go for a walk – If you're tired at work, go outside for a walk. Getting some fresh air and moving your body can give you more energy, and can make you feel more alert.

·         Watch your diet – Your diet may also influence how tired you feel. For example, avoid heavy lunches – and instead eat smaller, healthy snacks throughout the day.

Thanks Fully agree with colleagues Mohammad Ashraf & Vikas answers .

1. Balance employee togetherness and privacy.

Workers who are most satisfied with their work environment are also the most engaged, according to a Steelcase study, surveying, workers globally. Of the most highly engaged workers surveyed, percent said their work environment allows them to concentrate easily and percent said they can work in teams without being interrupted.

The once-popular open office trend may be on its way out as leaders see a lack of focus among employees forced to share the same space and collaborate constantly. But, the traditional office model isn’t the answer either.

Create a workspace with a balance of collaboration spaces and private offices, so employees can limit distractions when they choose to perform more effectively.

2. Let employees choose where they work.

Steelcase’s study also found percent of the happiest, most highly engaged workers can choose to work anywhere they want within the office, depending on their task.

Not all tasks require employees to be in a specific place to be completed -- especially if the work can be done digitally with a laptop. Give employees the freedom to choose where they want to work within the office.

Create different spaces throughout the office. For example, think about including elements seen in a coffee shop like a community table, sofas and comfortable chairs. Or, alternatively, let employees work from home one day each week.

3. Invest in wearable tech.

Unsurprisingly, percent of employees said they would use wearable tech if it enabled them to do their job better, and percent admitted the presence of wearables in the office would make them feel curious, according to Cornerstone’s State of Workplace Productivity Report, examining responses of1, U.S. employees in August.

Wearables have received a lot of uproar since their release into the working world. Regardless of their impact on productivity itself, their impact on engagement is proof they’re an important addition to the office.

Consider letting the team use a wearable device, like a smartwatch or RFID badge, to show employees management is invested in helping them use their time more efficiently.

4. Use apps.

On a tight budget, wearables may be out of the question. If this is the case, invest in apps. In fact, apps are so important to employees, they’re willing to invest their own money to use them. Cornerstone’s report found percent of employees would purchase apps to use for work.

Choose apps that are easy to use and provide convenient access to information employees need consistently on the job. Use at least one app to facilitate collaboration -- percent surveyed by Cornerstone said collaborating with others is one of the most important benefits of workplace apps.

For example, check out Argo. This app connects people across an organization and uses “small data” to help them understand how their work influences other departments.

5. Create a mindfulness at work program.

Meditating to relieve stress isn’t a new concept, but research shows exactly how practicing mindfulness at work benefits employees.

In Sodexo’s Mindfulness At Work Report, which analyzed findings from studies conducted among, employees, mindfulness programs resulted in nearly a percent improvement in stress, percent better sleep and nearly percent higher productivity among participants.

The numbers speak for themselves. Employers should make stress-reducing initiatives like these a priority.

Create a mindfulness program at work. Invest in a company gym membership and incorporate a few classes into employees’ work schedules. Or create a fitness room and hire a yoga instructor to visit the office weekly. If those options aren’t feasible, simply block off meditation time for employees and encourage them to participate.

Make sure that everyone is busy and have enough work to concentrate on. 

1- good house keeping 

2- good training for employee

3- to prevent mobile phone use

4- to make maintenance for equipment to avoid noise

5- to put work plan & target for every one

6- to put reward for good running worker

by providing a safe working environment which follows safety culture and is free of workplace abuse

Environmental Distractions

Build a wall. Julie Morgenstern, professional organizer and author of “Time Management from the Inside Out," says there are two equally significant types of distractibility: outgoing, in which you distract yourself – perhaps by checking Reddit or choosing to chat with a co-worker instead of launching into the big report; and incoming, in which the world interrupts you with emails, chatty cubicle-mates and meetings.

Changing your environment can help both kinds of distractions, Morgenstern says, and it can be especially helpful for those in an open office. “You need to create a visual cocoon for yourself if you can,” she says. Create barriers that both help keep your eyes on your work and make you look less accessible to outsiders. Try stacking books, setting up plants or placing a lamp between you and the outside (well, outside cubicle) world.

Technological Distractions

Recognize your vulnerability to distractions. Maybe you're instant messaging about weekend plans, checking the news on Twitter, scoping your friend’s new vacation photos, replying to your mother’s text – and, oh yeah, there's that big report in some Word document, 20 tabs below the sea.

Social Distractions

Make a sign. When you can’t be interrupted, attach a sign to the outside of your cocoon-esque workspace that says something like “On Deadline” or “In Focus Mode.” If that feels rude, bring it up with your team or work group, and you may all decide to adopt the practice. “It’s relatable for 99 percent of people you work with,” Morgenstern says. “I don’t know anyone who can’t use a minimum of an hour in their day here and there to be uninterrupted so they can get something done.”

Ask talkers to email. For folks who simply talk and talk and talk, have them switch their mode of communication. When you’re in “the zone,” (kindly) ask them to email you instead, and offer to follow up with them in person afterwar