By: fallen angel

If you’re one of those out there that’s on a quest of finding an answer on how to focus and get your work done – this is a tip for you. I’ve had my fair share of unfocused periods – periods when I can’t focus at all because I had so much interruption, and at the end of the day, when I look back, nothing was done at all.

Here’s my tip in how to help yourself focus at work – stop checking emails and IMs all the time.

That’s right, you need to stop checking emails and IMs all the time. You probably realize by now that emails and instant messengers are actually interruptions, and you might have decided that they’re healthy interruptions, something to help you work. The truth is, studies have shown that when you’re interrupted, either by emails or instant messengers or something else, you will take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to task.

Wha-?

Did I read that right? 23 minutes and 15 seconds???

Yes, it’s true, according to this FastCompany’s article. Even if we assume that their findings are exaggerated, if you take an average of 15 minutes to get back to a task, and if you switch tasks every time you get an email and an instant message, that’s a whole lotta time you would have wasted! If you get interrupted 5 times by email and 10 times by instant messenger throughout your tasks, that’s 3 hours 45 minutes lost!

I have a colleague that made it a practice to only check and reply his emails 2 times a day. Once early in the morning when he reaches the office, and once at the end of the day before he leaves the office. It works for him, and who knows, it could work for you too.

Good luck!