Oh this is hilarious!
I just sat down to write about work distractions and a Facebook Messenger notification popped up.
And I checked it – lol!
How easily are you distracted by work chat and other instant messaging?
Are you sometimes frustrated by interruptions, but simultaneously compelled to reply immediately?
Read on to discover
- How work interruptions cost you more than just your time to respond
- 4 tips to clarify expectations with colleagues about your responsiveness
- 6 tips to improve your focus at work
This topic of interruptions, especially from work chat, came up in a recent group call in the Sasuga! VIP Women’s Coaching program.
One of the participants – a Japanese HR professional in a global corporation – shared how she’s been experimenting with the concept of less effort and more impact. Let’s call her Maiko.
Maiko was using the Pomodoro Technique to make it easier to focus and produce better quality work. During this time, she didn’t respond to her work chat for one hour.
If you’re not familiar with this popular productivity hack, here’s a quick introduction.
The Pomodoro Technique
“Pomodoro” means “tomato” in Italian. This technique is apparently called the Pomodoro Technique because the person who invented it used a timer shaped like a tomato. But of course you can use the timer on your smartphone with the following steps:
- Decide your task
- Set the timer for 25 minutes
- Focus on your task (ignore everything else)
- STOP when the timer goes off
- Set the timer for a 5-minute break
- Repeat (and take a longer break after you’ve done several of these)
Initially, Maiko was concerned that not responding immediately to work chat might impact her credibility with her colleagues.
It turned out that wasn’t a problem.
She did, however, notice an increase in emails! Since she wasn’t responding to the chat, her colleagues pursued a different form of communication.
From this experience, Maiko realized the importance of communicating with her colleagues up front and setting expectations.
Another participant on our call said that she had initially been worried about not responding immediately too… What would people think? How might it slow down other people’s work?
But then her colleague said to her:
“If it’s not urgent, I use email. If it’s something quick, I use chat, but I don’t expect an immediate response. If it’s urgent, I’ll come to you in person.”
When people message you, most likely it’s because it’s quick and convenient for them. It doesn’t necessarily mean to say that you need to respond immediately.
Distraction costs more than your time to respond
A University of California Irvine study revealed that it took an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds for a person to refocus on their task after being distracted.
Now, even if you’re not the average person and you can refocus faster, I’m sure you’ll recognize that it still does take several minutes for you to concentrate fully on your task again after an interruption. I know that’s the case for me.
But there’s another hidden cost of distractions. When multiple people and projects are vying for your attention, you’re at increased risk of cognitive overload from switching your focus. And that means more stress.
Distraction cost = Time responding + Time refocusing + Cognitive overload (stress)
So if you’ve been unsure how fast you should reply to work chat, keep in mind this distraction cost and clarify expectations with your colleagues, so that everyone can benefit.
Tips to clarify expectations with colleagues
- Devote some time at your next meeting to raise this topic with those who most frequently interrupt you
- Explain the new practices you’re testing out and why they’re important – not just for you, but also for them, e.g., you’ll be able to give a better-quality response when your cognitive overload is reduced or you’re supporting them to take greater ownership and build their skills before coming to you
- Invite their opinions – remember that you want an approach that works for you and for your colleagues
- Agree on the approach – be sure that everyone is clear on the approach and its importance, and go ahead and test it out (you may like to share this post with your colleagues too)
Tips to improve focus
- Aim for a minimum-distraction environment – where possible, choose a location and check that your surroundings support your ability to focus as much as possible
- Use status updates in your chat (like “do not disturb”) or other indications to your colleagues (or family) that you’re focusing – I tell my family that when I’m looking at my computer screen, it means “Please don’t talk to me just now”
- Be clear on your goal – without prioritization and clear reasons why a particular task is important to do now, it’s easy to become distracted
- Use the Pomodoro Technique – I explained this above (and I’ve been using this for years!)
- Listen to binaural beats – if sound is an issue in your environment, you can pop in your earbuds and easily find binaural beats or music for focus and productivity on YouTube
- Take regular breaks – even if you’re not using the Pomodoro Technique, be sure to take breaks to give your brain a chance to refresh
Some of these may be more or less suitable for you depending on your preferences and your work situation. Do what works for you!
Straight after I was distracted by Facebook Messenger when I started writing this post, I immediately shut down my social media apps, put on some binaural beats for focus, and set my timer for 25 minutes.
And we’re done!
Now, it’s your turn.
Links for you
Are you overwhelmed with email? Would you like to deal with emails faster, receive fewer, and have more time to focus on what’s really important for you?
This guide gives you
- An email each day for 5 days to guide you step by step to create a habit of email efficiency
- Mindset tips for your ongoing success as you develop new behaviors
- A Step Summary and Reminder for you to keep – just in case you slip out of the habit during particularly busy times, so that you can quickly get back into it