Distracted Driving – Not Good. Distracted Writing – Maybe Not So Bad

I came across an interesting article on Medium today by Angela Lashbrook, who said she’d purchased a $35 AlphaSmart in the hopes that this primitive device would help her finish the book she’d been intending to write. The AlphaSmart is essentially a word processor that does nothing other than allow her to type and edit. No internet connection, no email, no Google, no YouTube. Her theory was that, by eliminating all these distractions, she could force herself to concentrate on the task at hand when she sat down to write.

Her story quotes a couple of other writers who also use the AlphaSmart and claim it helps them concentrate. Her own results, after a week of writing, seem positive.

While I wish her the best in getting that book written, the article reminded me of a fascinating research paper that came out last year. Unfortunately for Angela, its conclusion makes me doubt how much impact the AlphaSmart – or the idea of cutting oneself off from all distractions – can have. The paper, “Yearning for Distraction: Evidence for a Trade-Off Between Media Multitasking and Mind Wandering” in the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that when people had the chance to distract themselves by watching a video, they were less likely to let their mind drift aimlessly from their task. Using other media (videos, email, etc) is essentially a substitute for letting your mind drift.

It seems that some people have longer attention spans than others. If you’re someone with a naturally short attention span, at some point in the writing process, you’re going to need a break. So if you wall yourself into a room with no distractions, turn off the email, disconnect from social media, whatever, you’re probably going to find your mind wandering anyway.

It might make more sense to stop beating yourself up about getting distracted and build mental breaks right into your schedule. Your mind will thank you, and if self-acceptance is an important marker for perseverance, you might just give yourself the best chance of getting that book done after all.