Make multitasking hard: Close your laptop, drape your desktop computer with a cloth, or turn the screen away from you when you are at your desk.
Set a timer: When you first start focusing, it is difficult to remember how long a half hour really lasts. Set a kitchen timer, and use the entire 30 minutes for your designated activity. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.
Take a deep breath or count to three when a distraction arises: Use these seconds to calm and redirect your mind to the task at hand, so you can ignore the distraction (the phone, the beep, etc.).