We live in a world that’s relentless with interruptions. Think about how many times you’re pulled away during an average hour at work. Your phone buzzes, a text pops up, an alert from a social media app flash, or someone pings you with an instant message. It’s non-stop.

These days, it feels like being on call 24/7 has become the default, not because we’re surgeons or emergency responders, but because constant accessibility is the new norm. Everyone knows nobody leaves home without their phone. So, when you reach out to someone, you assume they’re aware of it, ready to respond.

But this flood of notifications, tweets, and posts isn’t just wearing us down mentally; it’s wreaking havoc on our productivity and business efficiency. Worse, it stifles creativity and genuine innovation because there’s no room left for deep, uninterrupted thought.

Creativity Needs Space to Breathe

Original ideas don’t come from mindlessly scrolling social media or juggling emails all day. They surface during moments of mental stillness when you allow your brain to wander. If you spend your hours glued to your phone, refreshing feeds, or watching endless TikTok videos, you’re shutting the door on the kind of reflective thought that sparks true breakthroughs.

Those cumulative hours lost each day chip away at the quiet time needed for reflection and contemplation. And when you lose that, distraction becomes more than a nuisance—it turns into dysfunction that derails productivity and stunts progress for both you and your organization.

Want to Be a Game-Changer? Focus on Original Thinking

We’re living in an era of unprecedented innovation. But to contribute meaningfully, you need to make room for creative thinking. Here’s how you can reclaim your focus and start thinking differently:

1. Plan Your Day with Precision Map out your day in detail. Include not just work-related tasks, but also time for family, friends, and physical activity. A balanced schedule keeps you grounded and boosts your capacity to focus when it matters.

2. Tackle Your Biggest Project First Don’t leave your most important work for the end of the day when your energy is already sapped by reacting to emails and sudden issues. Start your day with the project that will make the most impact on your business or personal goals. This approach prioritizes progress over mere activity.

3. Silence Notifications During Deep Work Make it known to your team that during your blocks of focus time, you’re only available for true emergencies. Turn off all notifications and, if needed, put your phone in airplane mode or leave it in another room. This way, you can work distraction-free and give your best to the task at hand.

Reclaiming Moments That Matter

Many people equate productivity with a schedule packed to the brim, leaving no moment unfilled. But too often, these moments are swallowed up by mindless scrolling. The next time you show up early for a meeting, pause before reflexively grabbing your phone. Could that time be better spent having a quick conversation with someone or mentally preparing for what’s next?

When you take deliberate steps to loosen the grip your devices have on you, you free your mind to explore new ideas and gain fresh perspectives. Personally, my most profound insights have often come during moments of quiet in unexpected places—at the beach where sunlight makes the screen unreadable, during a shower, or on a run without headphones.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said, “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” The same principle applies in business. To anticipate what’s next and stay ahead of the curve, you need to carve out space for undistracted thinking. Distraction may be the default mode in today’s world, but it’s also a form of dysfunction that holds back progress.

Think about what’s possible when you put down that device. Step away from the endless digital noise and be present in the real world. The next great idea, the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for—it might be just a quiet moment away.

 

Evan Nierman is Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, a global crisis PR firm, and author of The Cancel Culture Curse and Crisis Averted.