Being interrupted when we are focused on a task is a common occurrence in our daily lives. Whether it is a colleague asking a question during an important meeting or a friend calling when you are trying to finish a project, interruptions can be frustrating and detrimental to productivity.
But what exactly is going on in our brains when interruptions occur? Understanding the neuroscience behind interruptions can help us better cope with and minimize their impact.
The Brain’s Response to Interruptions
Research has shown that when we are interrupted during a task, it triggers a complex neural response. Parts of the brain tied to emotions and stress kick into high gear while areas involved in concentration, short-term memory, and rational thought are suppressed.
Specifically, interruptions activates the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions like fear and anger. Increased amygdala activation is linked to feeling stressed and frustrated. Interruptions also reduce activation in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for executive functions like attention, planning, and organization. Suppressed prefrontal cortex activity makes it harder to stay focused and remember details.
Neurotransmitters and hormones also play a role. Interruptions cause the release of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, and glutamate, a neurotransmitter tied to learning and memory. While glutamate can sharpen focus, excess amounts can become toxic and impair cognition. The uptick in cortisol also makes it harder to concentrate and retain information.
The Cost of Interruptions
All of these neurological effects come at a cost. Research shows that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on track after an interruption.
Interruptions also reduce efficiency and increase errors. In one study, office workers experienced a 20 percent drop in productivity on days with high interruptions. Interruptions during complex problem-solving tasks have also been shown to double the number of errors people make.
The more complex and cognitively demanding a task, the worse interruptions tend to be. Highly creative activities like brainstorming and writing suffer greatly from ill-timed disruptions. Interruptions while learning something new or storing information in short-term memory also cause problems.
Why Interruptions Throw Us Off
There are a few key reasons why interruptions are so disruptive to the brain:
Context Switching
When interrupted, the brain has to context switch – essentially pressing pause on the current task to address the interruption. This redirects attention and shifts mental gears, requiring the brain to recreate the neural patterns needed to successfully restart the original task. The more complex a task, the harder it is to regain your train of thought after context switching.
Working Memory Disruption
Working memory stores small amounts of information for immediate cognitive processing – like a mental notepad. But it is limited in capacity and fragile. Interruptions can cause working memory to reset, wiping out critical task information. This makes pick up where you left off before the interruption nearly impossible.
Negative Emotional Response
Being interrupted triggers frustration, annoyance, anxiety and other unpleasant emotions. These feelings make it hard to re-engage fully with the interrupted task. Lingering negativity divides the brain’s attention, reducing productivity and performance.
Coping Strategies for Dealing with Interruptions
While you cannot always control interruptions at work or home, you can take steps to mitigate their damage:
Take a Brief Break
After being interrupted, briefly step away from the task for 5-10 minutes. This helps diffuse emotional irritation and gives your brain time to reset. Use the mini-break to drink water, stretch, make a quick call, or chat with a coworker.
Create Transitional Rituals
Developlittle mental routines to segue back into a task after an interruption – like reviewing your last few sentences or steps. Rituals will help your brain switch gears and recover context more quickly.
Set Aside Distraction-Free Time
Schedule work hours or blocks of time where messages and calls must be put on hold. Whether it is 90 minutes in the morning or an entire day each week, defending distraction-free time will allow you to work and think uninterrupted.
Use Memory Aids
Note down key information, to-do items or reminders before being interrupted. Putting critical details in writing provides memory support and makes it faster to resume your train of thought.
Prioritize Work by Cognitive Load
Front-load complex cognitive tasks like analysis, strategizing and writing when you are fresh. Save lighter admin work like answering emails for later when your defenses are lowered after constant interruptions.
The Work Environment Matters
While individuals can develop resilience against interruptions, organizations play a huge role in preventing unnecessary disruptions. Here are some ways companies can create less interruption-prone workplaces:
Institute Quiet Hours
Enforce organization-wide quiet hours where meetings and calls are restricted, allowing heads-down work to continue uninterrupted. Distraction-free quiet hours boost productivity and creativity.
Rethink Open Office Spaces
While collaborative, open office floor plans have drawbacks when it comes to noise and distractions. Providing quiet rooms or designated “focus work” areas can help.
Discourage Unnecessary Emails
Implement firm email policies like avoiding CCing people unnecessarily and respecting out of office notifications. This prevents pointless messages that interrupt recipients.
Rethink Meetings
Analyze meeting necessity, frequency and length. Shorter, more purposeful meetings prevent tedious interruptions to real work. Mandate camera-on policies to reinforce engagement and presence for virtual meetings.
Prioritize Focus Work
Ensure employees have a significant portion of time reserved for independent, distraction-free work. Make it clear that focus work takes precedence over meetings and team collaboration.
Train Managers
Provide managers education on balancing collaborative work with individual focus time. Managers should protect direct reports from unnecessary disruptions.
Embrace Asynchronous Communication
Leverage chat apps, email and documentation over constant face-to-face meetings and questions. Asynchronous communication prevents unnecessary real-time interruptions.
The Brain Science Behind Why Interruptions Are So Disruptive
Interruptions trigger a strong neurological response in the brain that impedes productivity, efficiency and performance. Here is a summary of the key brain science explaining why interruptions are so problematic for cognitive function:
Increased Amygdala Activation
The amygdala handles emotion processing like fear and anger. Interruptions spark amygdala activation, eliciting frustration and stress.
Decreased Prefrontal Cortex Activation
The prefrontal cortex controls executive functions like focus and rational thinking. Interruptions suppress prefrontal cortex activity, making concentration difficult.
Release of Cortisol and Glutamate
Interruptions flood the brain with the stress hormone cortisol and neurotransmitter glutamate. While glutamate fuels memory, too much impairs cognition.
Disrupted Working Memory
Working memory temporarily holds information for processing. Interruptions can reset working memory, erasing critical task details.
Context Switching
Interruptions force the brain to context switch between tasks, requiring cognitive effort to restart the original task.
Negative Emotions
Frustration and irritation from interruptions divide the brain’s attention, hampering productivity and performance.
Key Takeaways
In review, here are the core points to understand about how interruptions impact the brain:
- Interruptions spark an neurological response that includes emotion processing, stress reactivity and decreased executive function.
- Interruptions reduce productivity and increase errors due to context switching, working memory disruption and negative emotions.
- Mitigation tactics like breaks, routines, and memory aids can help individuals cope with interruptions.
- Organizations play a key role in creating less interruption-prone work environments.
- Understanding the detailed brain science behind interruptions allows us to better manage their detrimental impacts.
Conclusion
Being interrupted during focused work is an unavoidable nuisance in modern life. But as the underlying brain science shows, interruptions have significant detrimental effects beyond just mild annoyance. They reduce performance on cognitive and creative tasks and can take a major toll over time.
Knowing exactly how interruptions impact the brain provides insights into why they are so disruptive. This knowledge can empower both individuals and organizations to better cope with and minimize unnecessary disruptions. With more mindful communication and purposeful focus time, we can achieve greater productivity, efficiency and innovation despite the interrupted world we live in.