Glossary
Distraction
What is distraction?
As a behavior change technique, distraction means deliberately focusing on something else to avoid a trigger for an unwanted behavior.
How it works
Someone who wants to stop checking their phone during a break might turn to a puzzle instead. The aim is to give their attention another place to go.
Choosing a Distraction
A useful starting question is what activity is available now and interesting enough to hold attention. For example, a person sitting beside a paper crossword could use the break to solve clues with a pen. While reading the clues and writing answers, they are not reading messages on the phone. They can still switch back, so this is an alternative action to try, not a barrier that guarantees success.
Availability, interest, and competing demands on attention can help guide the choice, but they are not proven conditions for making every distraction effective. Check whether the chosen activity actually helps with the target behavior.
Why it matters
Distraction offers something to do in the moment when an unwanted behavior is tempting. It may help someone get through a particular break without checking messages, while leaving a separate problem—such as unclear expectations about being constantly reachable—unresolved. Short-term coping and changing the underlying situation are different tasks. Whether distraction helps depends on the person, the alternative activity, and the situation.
The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy lists distraction as technique 12.4. It identifies the strategy used; effectiveness depends on the intervention and its setting.