How to Conquer Interruptions at Work

Interruptions have always been a reality of life and work especially with the rapid development of technology (emails, phone alerts, smartwatch alerts, smart homes & offices) having meetings, conversations with colleagues, unexpected calls – all of that takes our time and attention away from being truly productive and stay motivated in what we do.

Also, the statistics on the impact of regular work disturbances are alarming. Research made in Germany about the impact of work interruptions states that employees in mentally demanding professions are interrupted on average 15 times every hour. It means that you get interrupted every 5 minutes – how can you function you ask? The participants of the research also spent at least a day and a half in meetings during the week and were attempting to multitask at least twice every hour. Such working conditions can contribute to a lack of concentration, lowered productivity, stress, overwhelm, and anxiety.

Our brains have it difficult to manage attention between multiple tasks. Part of our attention stays focused on the interrupted task and does not fully switch to the disturbance which is called attention residue. Attention residue happens because we have an innate need for completion that makes switching our attention difficult for the brain to execute. In such situations, we hold on to unfinished tasks instead of putting them aside and moving on to another.

In most jobs, employees must manage multiple projects or tasks at the same time – switching between different work activities, projects, tasks, calls, and meetings. Work interruptions or disturbances can make us feel stressed, fatigued, frustrated, and guilty because we struggle to manage our attention and workload. Eventually, these negative feelings can also become distracting and continue to overwhelm us which is not helpful.

In this article, we will outline 7 ways to minimize interruptions, achieve your goals, and be successful in your work and home life.