You’ve heard of the dangers of distracted driving. You know that distractions in the workplace can also lead to accidents and serious injuries. Your boss tells you and the other workers to always keep your focus on the task at hand.
At first, you think that will be easy. You don’t consider yourself an easily distracted person. However, if you sit back and think about it, you’ll find that mental distractions may be far more common than you realize.
Remember, just having your mind wander at all means you’re distracted. You don’t actually have to look away from your work. You just have to think about something else while working. Examples of things you may think about include:
- What you’re going to do when your shift ends, and you go home
- The plans you have for the weekend
- What you want to eat for your next meal
- What you should say to a spouse or significant other about an argument or disagreement you had
- How you are going to make your budget work out when it seems inevitable that you’ll go over it for the month
Distractions with other workers also happen. Someone tells a joke and you look up and laugh. A co-worker comes by and makes small talk.
However, it’s important to realize that you can be completely distracted even when you are working all by yourself. Any time your mind wanders, there’s a risk.
Even if you do stay focused, that does not guarantee that other workers will do the same. If you get injured at work for any reason, make sure you know what legal options you have.
