Is there anything more irritating than to be neck deep in a project, only to be subjected to countless interruptions by friends, family, and well-meaning co-workers? We know it can drive us absolutely nuts, and it always interrupts our work flow and makes our tasks take far longer than is necessary. When on 5 minute interruption becomes 12, we’ve suddenly lost a whole hour of productivity out of our day. No Interruptions Day reminds us that the best way to get a solid days work done is with no interruptions, and hopefully will serve as a reminder of those we share our life with as well.
History of No Interruptions Day
No Interruptions Day arose in response to a world where everywhere we go information and noise is blasted at us from every angle. Visually the world is full of flashing screens and pop-ups and outlandish things determined to draw our attention from what we’re doing and make us LOOK LOOK LOOK for a moment. Whether it’s the man spinning a sign in a Lady Liberty outfit advertising a tax service, or a pop-up on your phone from the latest twitter post, everything wants your attention, right now.
Then we take into account all the audial noise, advertisements on our radio stations, beeping noises from machines wanting attention, people popping by with a ‘hey how ya doin’ or a ‘Hey Bob, I really need those TPS reports’. It all seems determined to keep us from doing what we’re actually trying to focus on. No Interruptions Day encourages us to shut out and disconnect from everything causing us to lose our way. For just one day, we can finally get done what we set out to do, free of interruptions.
How to celebrate No Interruptions Day
Turn off your phone, shut your office door, hold all calls, and ask your friends, family, and co-workers to let you focus for the day, even though you love them dearly. You may love those interruptions, but that’s part of the problem! It’s so easy to focus on these easier and more pleasant things rather than spend our time what needs to get done. Hang a Do Not Disturb sign on your office door, and make sure everyone knows that No Interruptions Day is your day to get work done, without being distracted by the noise of the world. Go forth, and let productivity be your guiding principle!
