Its time to write.
Two hours later, Ive written nothing.
But that time adds up, and Im perpetually putting off bigger projects because of it.
Just the idea that Icouldopen Slack distracts me, and the app is always just a click away.
And I invited my coworkers to do the same.
Here arethe best automations for Slack users.
said Katie Redderson-Lear, Escalations Customer Champion at Zapier.
So I feel like thats a sign that I should try this.
Apps like Slack are essential for remote teamsthey really are the virtual office.
Not all of my Slack time is unproductive.
But that leaves a quarter of my Slack time just…chatting.
At least 10 hours a month, probably.
But right now, the balance is off.
I also know that the existence of Slack makes it hard for me to focus on writing.
If you feel the same way, heres how.
How to block Slack
There are plenty ofapps to help you focus and block distractions.
For this experiment, we used the Mac appSelfControlbecause its free and nearly impossible to undo.
Thats basically tortureand the opposite of the point.
My usual routine is to block out two or three hours on my calendar.
Then, when my focus block comes up, I close Slack and block it using Self Control.
For me, this meant outlining an entire article, with quotes and research, ahead of time.
Block out time on your calendar.Its easy to keep Slack open just because, so be intentional.
Schedule unplugged timeblock it out on your calendar if you have to.
Set an intention and stick to it.
Record questions you want to ask later, so you dont need to ask questions on Slack mid-process.
If you do have questions, put them in a document to ask later.
Set a status on Slackletting your coworkers know youre going to be offline.
I havean automation set upthat puts writing as my status when I block out writing time using Google Calendar.
Put your phone in a different room.
Consider also turning off all notifications.
You might even get up and check Slack on your phone.
Remove that temptation entirely.
In a word, liberating.
Deb Tennen, my editor, agreed.
I relate to this a lot.
Sometimes Ill get stuck while writing and open Slack, more out of reflex than anything else.
When Slack is blocked, I cant do that, so I dont even try opening it.
Just knowing that I cant access Slack makes it easier to focus.
That, in turn, can lead to a kind of momentum after the clock expires.
I feel the same way.
It wasnt all upsides, though.
The solution was simple enough.
I was afraid that Id need to look something up in Slack, Eileen said.
Another problem was the all-too-human capacity to find new distractions.
We are all our own biggest problems.
Blocking Slack doesnt solve the problem of feeling distractedno software tool can do that.
Blocking is just a tool you might use to make it build the habit.
This didnt fix everything about my habits, but it did give me enough momentum to finish this article.
It can probably help you too.
Give it a try, and let us know if it works.
He loves technology, people, and nature, not necessarily in that order.
you’re able to follow Justin:@jhpot.
You don’t have to.
But you’ve got the option to.
