Protect time to focus

Not every interruption costs the same

When you’re writing a technical document, an unexpected message can break your train of thought. In customer support, on the other hand, responding quickly is part of the job. So there’s no single availability rule that works for every task. Your approach to attention should suit the work you’re doing.

Sort your activities into those that require sustained thinking and those you can handle in smaller chunks. For the first group, try agreeing on an uninterrupted block with a clear end time. For the second, set short windows to check messages and use simple routines.

Imagine you’re preparing a price quote. If you respond to every notification as it arrives, you’re more likely to lose track of the changes. It may help to turn off unnecessary notifications for a while and let colleagues know when you’ll be available. But there must be a working exception for genuinely urgent situations.

Uninterrupted time isn’t a personal privilege. If focusing means other people can’t make progress, you need to agree on your availability and set rules for genuinely urgent matters. Otherwise, you’re shifting the cost of your productivity onto the team.

When an interruption does happen, make a note of the last thought you completed and the next step. That way, you won’t have to work out the whole task again when you return.

Try it in practice: Choose a task that you often get interrupted during. For one work block, set clear availability boundaries, define an exception for urgent matters and note where you’ll pick up again. Then review the actual result.