Muffins with Mom – 3 Ways to handle distractions



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Has there been a project you’ve wanted to complete, but you can’t seem to find the time to do it? When you finally make time to work on your project, something comes up. Distractions.

Distractions manifest themselves in many ways, some can be humorous while others leave you with a feeling of frustration. The other day while at my son’s high school football game, I fell prey to a storm of distractions.

As the announcer made calls of “pass complete” and “first down and 10”, there were other calls coming from the stands. “Cotton candy $3” and “Get your 50/50 raffle tickets.” And that was just the beginning of my distractions.

The game continued, the announcements continued, “Verges on the tackle.” Then from a child in the stands, “Look at that feather in the air.” The child wasn’t talking to me, but I looked up anyway. Sure enough there was a feather drifting through the air and then another right behind it. Some of the students were wearing feather boas as part of a theme.

The distractions I experienced at the football game were simple ones that can be anticipated at a game. However, there are other distractions that require a little planning to ease frustration.

Below are three ways to handle distractions

1.      Persevere – this requires tenacity; stick to your task until you achieve what you set out to achieve. Perseverance may look different for each one of us. It could mean praying your way through a situation, setting goals and scheduling deliberate time to make something happen.

2.      Schedule time for yourself – if you are a busy parent this will mean creating stolen moments. If your child is involved in after school activities, use this time to set goals, create a plan or just unwind with a book. When you schedule frequent time for yourself, unexpected distractions are easier to handle.

3.      Look for small successes that lead to big gains – set small attainable (and measurable) goals along the way to a larger goal. Celebrate your small accomplishments which aid in building confidence and moves you forward to larger accomplishments.

Bonus

4.      Slow down – often busyness is a form of distraction. We pack our schedules so tight that we have an event/activity to attend every other day. Reevaluate how you spend your time. It is ok to say ‘No’ to some requests of your time.

If you’re distracted during you’re an event your child participates in, chalk it up to being part of the territory. For other distractions, devise a plan.

How do you handle distractions?