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Distraction by visitors Summary of time management

Avoiding Phone Calls

Phone calls can be enormously distracting. Where you are in the middle of a long train of thought or are in a state of flow on a task, telephone calls can completely disrupt these valuable states of mind. Time is spent not only in taking the call, but also in taking whatever action is decided, and then in recapturing the mental position before the interruption. Taking frequent calls while trying to concentrate can therefore by very stressful.

As previously mentioned, it may be possible to put your phone on divert, leave it off the hook, or have your calls screened. Alternatively it may be more effective to work in a room without a phone, or to work when no-one else is around. You may be able to get away with only taking calls between certain hours.

Improving your phone skills can also reduce the length of time you need to spend on the phone.

Alternatively, transferring communication as far as possible to Email can be extremely useful.

Distraction by visitors Summary of time management
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