Why bother managing interruptions?

It takes time to refocus at work whether or not you have ADHD.  That time can lead to lost productivity and general chaos in your day.  Add ADHD to the mix and that time to refocus just increased.  If you even manage a few of your typical interruptions in a given day, you can literally add productive minutes and even hours to your day.

Convinced?  Yes?  Your next question is certainly…

But how do I manage them?

• Notify Others:   Use a sign outside of your cubicle or office to let co-workers know that you are doing focused work and cannot be interrupted.  It can simply state, “Focused Work In Progress, Please Don’t Interrupt!”
• Go Somewhere:  Use a conference room or go to the library to keep interruptions down.  Put a sign outside of the conference room for added benefit.
• Silence the Noise:  Turn off the ringer and vibration on your phone, the email notification beep on your computer and use a noise cancellation machine to keep conversations from interrupting you.
• Set Timers:  When you know ahead of time that you need to manage your interruptions, set a timer for 20 – 30 minutes.  During this time, commit to work on this one task or project that needs your attention.  This one can really help with those troublesome self-interruptions!
• Close Email:  Incoming email is a source of ongoing interruptions. All. Day. Long.  To manage your email, you need to periodically close it.  Try checking it just a few times during the day.  This will allow you to focus on your priorities in between checking your email.  You will get through your email faster as an added benefit.

Just One

Pick just one of these tips to implement and leave a comment below to let me know which one!  Good luck!