Try becoming mutually unplugged

June 23, 2017
Posted by Amanda Furness

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Think about your average day

Is it all your outstanding tasks or the daily interruptions you incur which cause feelings of stress or low morale and stop you from getting on and clearing your to-do list?

Researchers have found that it takes over 20 mins to fully re-engage with a task following an interruption. This, coupled with the frequency which many of us switch tasks, can result in our energy being depleted and frustrations about our productivity being felt. Week on week, this can lead to increased pressure, low morale and potential burnout.

Interruptions can be varied – ringing phones, “have you got a minute?” pop-ins, bulging inboxes, not to mention our attention spans shortening due to internet usage and social media addiction.

Added together, the time spent getting your concentration back and switching from one task to another can represent a scary proportion of the working day.

What can you do?

1. Suggest that Dress Down Fridays have become a bit old hat and you’d like Mutually Unplugged Tuesdays to be introduced.
2. Try explaining to your boss and colleagues that you feel you would be far more productive if you had a set period when there were no interruptions.
3. Pick a time of the day when you will all be at your most productive, the post-lunch energy dip is probably best avoided!
4. Propose that you and your team have a couple of hours when everyone closes off from calls, digital prompts and email and has uninterrupted time to concentrate and make progress with a task.
5. Try it for a set period and monitor results, do you and/or others notice an effect on individual and group productivity?

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