Do you ever find yourself mindlessly checking your email or scrolling through your phone, without even thinking about it? I know I do and it drives me crazy. I am working on something and then all of a sudden I am not. Sometimes, my brain’s desire to look at my phone is so strong that I have to banish the phone to another room. Otherwise, I would never get anything done!

This annoying habit of reaching for your phone, especially when you’re supposed to be doing strategic, high-impact work, is also a problem in Medical Affairs. To deliver value, you must focus on your needle-moving activities. But how can you do this when your brain easily gets hijacked by email, notifications, and social media? Here is a drastic approach to finding focus in Medical Affairs: go somewhere there literally isn’t any internet.

Before you unsubscribe from my newsletter or block me on LinkedIn, hear me out 🙂.

The Distraction Dilemma: Why Strategic Work is So Hard

High-impact, strategic work is easy to avoid because it’s often the most mentally demanding. It requires us to get into a flow state where we fully immerse ourselves in the task at hand. But reaching that state is difficult when we’re constantly bombarded by the desire to check email and notifications. There are various strategies to manage this, like connecting with your why or treating work like going to the movies, but it’s not always enough.

Our brains are wired to seek out the easy dopamine hits from checking emails or scrolling through social media. It’s a hard habit to break, and sometimes, traditional methods of reducing distractions just don’t cut it.

My Grand Canyon Epiphany: Unplugging Completely

I recently took a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where the internet is practically non-existent. I knew this going in, and I was a little stressed about it. What would I do without the internet? How would I manage without being constantly connected?

But something amazing happened while I was there. My brain didn’t even think about checking email. For someone who’s usually glued to their phone and for some ridiculous reason that I don’t completely understand always wants to check email, this was a huge shift. It was almost as if, without the option, my mind was freed up to focus on more important things. Like actually enjoying the beautiful surroundings and my vacation.

This experience made me wonder: Could this be the secret sauce to finding focus in Medical Affairs? Could physically removing ourselves from the internet be the drastic measure we need to finally get that strategic work done?

Could a Digital Detox Be the Key to Strategic Thinking in Medical Affairs?

Let’s be honest here. Most of us don’t have the discipline to cut ourselves off from the internet. Even with the best intentions, it’s too easy to slip back into old habits. But what if, instead of relying on willpower alone, we took a more drastic approach? What if we actually removed ourselves from the internet, even if just for a few days?

Imagine what could happen if you spent a weekend in a place with no Wi-Fi and no cell service. Could this help you break the cycle of distraction and allow you to dive deep into the strategic work that often gets pushed to the back burner? In Medical Affairs, where strategic thinking is critical, this kind of focus isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential to demonstrating value.

Does the thought of not having internet make you all twitchy? Me too!

Tying It Back to Medical Affairs

In Medical Affairs, we’re constantly balancing immediate, reactive tasks with the need to think strategically and plan for the long term. But the constant pull of emails, notifications, and social media can make it nearly impossible to carve out the time and mental space needed for deep work. The pressure to demonstrate value and deliver high-impact results is higher than ever, and our environment often works against us.

By taking a drastic step like unplugging completely, you might be able to regain the focus necessary to do your best work. Whether it’s planning a digital detox weekend or finding a remote location for a personal retreat, the goal is to create an environment where strategic thinking can flourish, free from the distractions that can derail you.