Session 1 Warm-Up: Identifying Personal Distractions

Objective: Help learners recognize and share common distractions in daily life to build community and set the stage for focus strategies.

Instructions:

1. Quiet Reflection (3 minutes)
   
   • Think about one thing that most often pulls your attention away when you’re working or talking with someone (e.g., phone alerts, background noise, daydreaming).
   
   • Write that distraction on the lines below:

1. Pair & Share (5 minutes)
   
   • Turn to a partner and take turns reading your written distraction aloud.
   
   • Listen carefully and write down one thing your partner said that surprised you.

1. Group Brainstorm (7 minutes)
   
   • Volunteers share their partner’s surprising distraction with the whole class.
   
   • As each is shared, the instructor writes it on the whiteboard under the column “Distractions.”
   
   • Notice and discuss any common themes or surprises: How many people mentioned the same distraction?
   

Transition:
After our brainstorm, we’ll take a short quiz to see how much we already know about staying on topic and managing distractions.

Distraction Scenarios

Below are several short scenarios illustrating common distractions. In your small group, read each scenario aloud, identify the main distraction, and think about one strategy to manage it.

Scenario 1: The Busy Café

Marco arrives at his neighborhood café to work on a report. He places his laptop on the table, but notices the constant hiss of the espresso machine, the chatter of customers at nearby tables, and the ping of his email notifications. After only a few minutes, Marco realizes he has written almost nothing because he’s listening to every sound around him.

Questions:

1. What is the main distraction in this scenario? 
2. What focus strategy could Marco use to reduce or manage this distraction? 

Scenario 2: Smartphone Alerts

Aisha sits at her desk planning her day’s schedule. She keeps her phone within arm’s reach and sees a red badge showing ten unread messages. Every few minutes, she picks up the phone to check a new alert—even though each time she glances only at the notification, she spends five minutes scrolling through conversations.

Questions:

1. What is the main distraction in this scenario? 
2. What focus strategy could Aisha use to stay on task? 

Scenario 3: Chatty Coworker

During an important video call, Jamal’s coworker, seated next to him, keeps tapping on his desk and whispering questions. Jamal finds himself shifting his attention from the meeting slides to the side conversation. By the end of the call, Jamal missed several key action items because he was focused on the other person’s voice.

Questions:

1. What is the main distraction in this scenario? 
2. What focus strategy could Jamal use to minimize this disruption? 

Scenario 4: Multitasking at Home

Liz is cooking dinner while trying to catch up on an online course. She pauses the video every time she needs to chop vegetables or stir the sauce. By the end of her meal prep, she’s watched only half the lecture and can’t remember what the instructor explained about time management.

Questions:

1. What is the main distraction in this scenario? 
2. What focus strategy could Liz apply to improve her learning and her cooking? 

Focus Strategies Worksheet

Section 1: SMART Goal Development

Think about one of your top distractions. Use the SMART framework to write a goal for yourself.

1. Specific (target one distraction):

1. Measurable (how will you track progress?):

1. Achievable (is it realistic?):

1. Relevant (why is this important to you?):

1. Time-bound (by when will you achieve it?):

My SMART Goal: ___________________________________________________________________________

Section 2: Environmental Cues

Choose a visual or tactile cue to remind you of your goal, and describe how you will use it.

Type of Cue (e.g., sticky note, timer, icon):

Placement/Setup (where will you put it?):

How this cue will help you stay on task:

Section 3: Reflection (After 1 Week)

What worked well?

Challenges I faced:

Adjustments for next week:

Self-Monitoring Strategies & Log

What Is Self-Monitoring?

Self-monitoring means paying attention to when your mind drifts away from the task at hand. By noting the time, what you were doing, and what distracted you, you learn patterns in your focus. With this awareness, you can choose a strategy to get back on track more quickly.

How to Use This Log

1. When you notice your focus slipping, pause and fill out one log entry below.
2. Record the time, the activity you were doing, what distraction you noticed, and what trigger caused it.
3. Write down the strategy you used (or will use) to refocus, and note if it helped.
4. At the end of the day, review your entries to spot trends and plan changes.

Sample Log Entry

Time: 10:00 AM
Activity: Writing an email
Distraction Noticed: Phone vibration
Trigger: New email notification
Strategy to Use: Switched phone to silent and placed it face down
Outcome/Notes: Finished the email without interruption and felt less anxious.

Self-Monitoring Log

Entry 1

Time:






Activity:






Distraction Noticed:






Trigger:






Strategy to Use:






Outcome/Notes:

Entry 2

Time:






Activity:






Distraction Noticed:






Trigger:






Strategy to Use:






Outcome/Notes:

Reflection

After you complete your entries, think about your patterns and answer briefly below.

1. What distraction happened most often?

1. Which strategy helped you refocus best?

1. What will you try differently tomorrow?

Chunking & Time-Blocking Worksheet

Step 1: Identify Your Task

Describe the task you want to complete today (e.g., reading a report, writing an email, organizing files):

Step 2: Break into Time Blocks

Divide your task into 3–4 manageable segments. For each block, fill in the details below.

Block 1

Description of this segment:

Time Allocation (minutes):

Break After Block (minutes):

Block 2

Description of this segment:

Time Allocation (minutes):

Break After Block (minutes):

Block 3

Description of this segment:

Time Allocation (minutes):

Break After Block (minutes):

Block 4 (Optional)

Description of this segment:

Time Allocation (minutes):

Break After Block (minutes):

Step 3: Reflection

1. How did following this chunked schedule affect your ability to stay focused?

1. Which block kept you most engaged and why?

1. What adjustments will you make to your time blocks or breaks next time?

Session 2 Cool-Down & Next Steps

Reflection Questions

1. Which new technique (self-monitoring or chunking) will you use most next week, and why?

1. How will you combine both self-monitoring and chunking in a daily task? Describe your plan.

1. What challenges do you anticipate, and how will you address them?

Next Steps

• Continue using your self-monitoring log and your chunking plan each day.
• Share your experiences or questions with your instructor for ongoing support.
• Great work today—keep practicing and refining your focus strategies!