Modern technology enables constant connectivity and interruptions which research shows reduces productivity. The average office worker only has 11 minutes between interruptions and it takes 25 minutes to refocus on the original task. While half of interruptions are from external sources like notifications, the other half are self-inflicted as our brains seek constant stimulation. To improve focus and productivity, we must design our work environment and habits to limit distractions and exercise control over technology use.

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The High Cost of Interruptions at Work
 Modern technology has given us many tools and gadgets that helps us communicate
anytime and anywhere. Gadgets are omnipresent and internet connectivity is available
almost anywhere. It is hard to talk to someone without being interrupted by a phone
call. By the time you try just a couple of words of the report you are working on, your e-
mail program pops up a window distracting you from the work you are doing. If this was
happening just once or twice it would be manageable, however for most people this
happens dozens or even hundreds of times a day. Chances are you will check your
Twitter Facebook or LinkedIn several times a day. You may have several apps on your
smart phone or tablet and all these apps are ringing and pinging to grab your
attention. While technology has helped us in many ways it has made it very difficult for
us to concentrate. Our work day is full of interruptions and distractions.
We all intuitively know that distractions are not good but latest research has really thrown some
light into this severe problem. According to a study done by Prof Gloria Mark of the University of
California Irvine, a typical office worker gets only 11 min between each interruption. It takes an
average of 25 min to return to the original task after an interruption. Thus interruptions not only
costs you the time of the duration of the interruption but also the time it takes for you to read in

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your concentration and get back to the work you are doing before the interruption.
We try to compensate by working faster and harder. However this comes at a cost
 Increased stress levels
 Increased errors
 Increase in time required to complete the task
With all these devices and 24/7 connectivity, we may think that all of our interruptions are
external. However the research has shown that only half of our interruptions are external. The
other half are self-inflicted interruptions. What does it mean? While we are working on one task,
we stop that task, and all of the sudden without any external distraction, we start working on
something else. Why does this happen? Our brains are being rewired and we are losing our
inability to concentrate and focus on a single thing for an extended period of time. Every time
one of our devices pings or rings, we are tempted to look at it. The latest e-mail or the updated
status gives our brain a momentary kick off the brain chemical dopamine. Soon we get addicted
and conditioned to this “high”. We crave this constant stimulation and little kicks of dopamine
throughout the day. We lose our ability to focus on the task at hand.
We need to consciously design in our work environment that allows us to focus without
distractions. We need to exercise conscious control over technology. We also need to form
habits that actually make us productive instead of just being busy and distracted all day long.
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