A seminal study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Humboldt University in Germany found that people experience higher levels of stress and frustration when performing “interrupted tasks” — work disrupted by distractions like an urgent phone call, chat message, or physical intrusion into one’s workspace.
Meanwhile, an Economist Intelligence Unit analysis finds that workplace distractions sap nearly 600 person-hours of work per person, per year, at an average annual cost of about $35,000.
Completely eliminating interruptions from your workday is not a realistic goal. But some surprisingly small adjustments to your workflow and your mindset can significantly improve your productivity. Bigger adjustments pack a