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Life Guide U.S. essentials
English

When doing work that needs continuous thought, block out even interruptions of a few seconds

  • Top value
  • Evidence B
  • Saves time
  • Free
  • Takes minutes
  • No willpower

In plain words

One interruption averaging 2.8 seconds doubles the chance of making an error in the steps that follow. A 4.4-second interruption triples it. A field study also found that it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back to the interrupted task, with two other things squeezed in between. Interrupted people worked faster, but their stress, frustration and effort were all higher.

Cost

Free. Close the door, put on headphones, or hang a “do not disturb” sign.

What you get

An interruption averaging 2.8 seconds doubled the rate of step errors in tasks done one step after another (sequence tasks). A 4.4-second interruption tripled it. This was done in a lab. Another study was a field observation of 24 office workers (information workers). They switched work topics on average every 11 minutes. 57% of work topics were interrupted. Getting back to the interrupted task that same day took an average of 25 minutes 26 seconds. 2.26 other things were squeezed in between. A further experiment with 48 people found that interrupted people worked faster, but reported higher stress, frustration, time pressure and effort.

Notes

The field study divided interruptions into two kinds: those where someone comes to you, and those you open yourself. Closing the door blocks only the first kind. The second kind needs §3.1 (turn off nonessential notifications) and §3.5 (handle messages in batches) used together.

Evidence grade
B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
Sources
  1. Altmann, Trafton & Hambrick (2014). Momentary interruptions can derail the train of thought. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030986
  2. Mark, Gonzalez & Harris (2005). No task left behind? Examining the nature of fragmented work. CHI 2005. https://doi.org/10.1145/1054972.1055017
  3. Mark, Gudith & Klocke (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. CHI 2008. https://doi.org/10.1145/1357054.1357072

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 3, tip 6. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer