Avoiding Distractions

Although writing has become easier in our modern era due to things like dictation apps and easy access to reference material, there are some downsides to modern technology that can be a nuisance.  Actually it could be more than just a nuisance, it could harm productivity of a writer, so it is downright dangerous.  Here are some tips to help you write.
A lot of these seem like common sense, and apply even if you are just reading a novel.  Writing fiction becomes much more difficult with these distractions.  Imagine you are trying to write a beautiful romance novel and your thoughts get interrupted every twelve seconds by a Facebook like or Instagram notification.
Or you are deep in the psyche of the killer in your mystery novel, trying to write some suspense fiction well, but your phone beeps every time you receive an email.  Do you think popular books were written like that?  Can you imagine Alexandre Dumas writing with that sort of constant barrage of interruptions?
What can we do?  Silence your devices.  Don't have too many tabs open on your web browser.  Close your email and don't look at it until your writing time is finished.  Did you know Gmail has a pause feature on the inbox?  You can actually stop mail from coming in for a while.  Literature takes time to create, don't rush it.  Also, don't jeopardize the possibility that you could turn out a great novel.  Popular books don't come along by accident, and there is some sacrifice involved.
How much time do you spend everyday looking at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?  I don't want to come across as a zealot who thinks you should abandon all social networking - but if you want to write a great novel it is possible that the sacrifice of time will have to come from these things.  If you are on these sites, can you simply abandon your account for a month while you focus on your writing?  Don't post anything for 30 days, don't retweet or "like" anything - just fall off the grid for a month while you focus on your novel.  How many words do you want to write?  I think you could do it!
Go for a brisk walk outside for 20 minutes and then sit down to write.  Have calm smells nearby, like lavender or lemons.  Write near a window.
Another idea to help you be more productive is to have a piece of paper handy.  If you think of something you want to do that is not novel-centered, write it down.  For example, if you are writing science fiction and you are researching planets online, then you see a picture of the moon and it reminds you that you need to buy toilet paper (sometimes the connection is random), write it down and move on with your science fiction related research.  Don't get distracted and open a website page to buy toilet paper and then see that there is free shipping if you buy thirty dollars so then you should get some face cream also.  Your writing has de-railed.
Focus on your task, and right now your task is to write.