Whether it is children, a spouse/partner or work colleague we all know about interruptions and how annoyed we get about them.
So here it is, take a deep breath, step back and accept it may be more your issue than theirs.
A typical situation goes like this. I’m at home with the children, I’m with them but not really present, checking my email, watching the news whatever it is. The children keep asking me for things, jumping on me making lots of noise at what appears to be the worst moment. My tension is rising steadily and I’m getting annoyed at the interruptions. The real question to ask is how important and urgent is what I’m doing?
Change your mindset and approach and all that tension disappears. Put the phone down, turn the TV off get on the floor or wherever you need to be and focus on being involved in that moment of play, homework or what ever it is. Time will fly,the children will be happy and you won’t be annoyed.
Take a different situation. You’re at work, normal day, busy with your own work. One of your colleagues is working on something they are unsure about. They pop into your office / stop by your desk / shout across the room with a “quick question”. You stop what you’re doing and answer the question, then go back to your work. A few minutes later it happens again, and few minutes after that and a little while after that. Each subsequent time you’re interrupted it seems to take longer to regain your train of thought. Familiar???
Again change your approach. Instead of being inward and doing the bare minimum in answering the question asked, take a moment and engage. A simple “how’s it going?” “do you need help with anything else?” Giving that person your full attention for probably no more than 10 minutes will be far more productive for you and them, not to mention the positive feeling in generates and the reputation you gain.
So if you want to put an end to annoying interruptions focus on what you can do to change the situation rather than what you wish someone else would do whilst seething. Change your behaviour to something positive and your interactions become more positive.
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