Pardon The Interruption...

The week between Christmas and the New Year celebrations is usually a quiet one. Many people are on vacation, and those who are working this week feel like it’s some of their most productive time. Why? Because there are far fewer interruptions, meaning they feel they can get more done than normal.

Since the 1990’s, the major causes of interruptions at work are emails, messaging apps and phone calls.  Research conducted by Gloria Mark and her team at the University of California Irvine discovered something surprising – tasks which were interrupted were ultimately completed in less time with no difference in quality versus the same tasks when performed with no interruptions. Why the need for No Interruptions Day this Friday, then?

Because the stress, frustration level, time pressure and effort involved skyrocketed in the interrupted group. The level of workplace satisfaction was much higher in the uninterrupted group.

This is what mental wellbeing is all about – finding the small things, or sometimes the not-so-small things, that contribute to a calmer, smoother pathway through your day. When you can identify the patterns that create calm and the patterns that create chaos, then you can begin to eliminate the chaotic patterns, leaving room for more calm ones.

If you’re working this Friday, what can you do to cut down on the number of interruptions? Can you block out three hours where you can turn your phone off? Can you schedule time to look at emails and turn off the on-screen notifications? Think about it now, and implement it Friday. Then see how you feel at the end of the last workday of the year. Meanwhile, if you need some help with solving the small things that contribute to your stress each day, there’s a Tiny Bite for that every single day:

Feeling indecisive? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Stressed about things that don’t matter? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Are your self-expectations unrealistically high? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!

These Wellbeing Wisdom Tiny Bites podcasts are quick hits on a single topic each day, designed to give you an easy, evidence-based way to deal with common issues. It’s the world's second-shortest podcast - 90 seconds or less – and you’ll find a new one every day at the Center for Workplace Happiness website and wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like it, please subscribe and share it with your friends.

If you’re working on Friday, try to eliminate at least one interruption-producing thing (email, texts, phone calls) and comment here on how it works for you. And if you, like me, are taking this week off to play, pick a January day and create a “no interruptions day” experiment for yourself that day. Here’s wishing us all less stress and more success in 2023!

Wags, Sandy Weaver, Program Director, Center for Workplace Happiness

PS...For evidence-based self-improvement courses and books, check out the offerings available through the Center for Workplace Happiness. Need a bunch of one of the books or courses? Enjoy generous bulk discounts – contact me and we’ll get your team taken care of.