Coming Out of Focus

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Focus is a Key Concept in Productivity

It’s an axiom in productivity circles that the primary skill needed to get things done productively is the ability to focus on one task at a time. “Few things will benefit your overall quality of life more than focusing with intention.” Chris Bailey, Hyperfocus.

Focus is needed because we are susceptible to distraction. Our brains easily tend to wander from one thought to another. We live in a world that seems intent to distract us and gain our attention.

People in various professions talk about an intense state of focus called “flow.” According to an article by Masooma Memon, “Productivity flow is a state of mind when creativity peaks, focus sharpens, and you get more done.”

Productivity geeks aren’t the only people to experience flow. Athletes, musicians, and mountain climbers experience a state where we are “so focused on the task at hand that all else falls away. Action and awareness merge. Our sense of self vanishes. Our sense of time distorts. And performance goes through the roof.” Steven Kotler, The Rise of Superman.

It Takes Time to Transition Out of Focus When Interrupted

When we focus and are “in the flow”, we give all our attention to what we’re working on. We get so deeply focused that we block out everything else.

When we’re in deep focus and are interrupted by a person, it’s difficult to come out of focus and refocus on the person who has interrupted us. We may look as if we don’t know what’s going on (we don’t), and may feel irritated at the interruption.

According to Sophia Dembling in her book “The Introvert’s Way,” this is normal behavior for an introvert in this situation. “When we’re concentrating, we can’t easily switch attention from that task to another. An introvert interrupted when deep in work or thought will look up, blinking and groggy, as if being wakened from sleep.”

Likewise, when we’re in deep focus and are interrupted, it’s difficult to change focus. If I’m focusing deeply on a task in my home studio and my wife comes in and asks me a question, it’s like I’ve woken up and didn’t hear the question. It takes a minute to reorient and respond to her.

“When we’re concentrating, we can’t easily switch attention from that task to another. An introvert interrupted when deep in work or thought will look up, blinking and groggy, as if being wakened from sleep.”

Sophia Dembling

Although some have characterized this transition as “the dark side of focus” or a “problem,” I disagree. It’s simply the natural response when you’re deep in thought and are suddenly interrupted. It’s unrealistic to expect an instantaneous change of focus.

When someone wakes you from a sound sleep, it takes you a minute to wake up and figure out what is happening and what someone is saying to you. It’s not a “problem” or “the dark side of sleep,” but just the nature of things that when you sleep, you need time to wake up before you can understand and respond.

How to Deal With Focus Interruptions

There are several things we can do to both avoid interruptions, and to help others to understand our natural reaction to being interrupted:

  • At Work: If possible, when you’re going to be deeply focusing, put yourself in circumstances where interruption is unlikely.
    • Close the door to your office.
    • Put a “do not disturb” sign on the door.
    • Inform your coworkers that when the door is closed you’re deeply focusing on a task and would appreciate not being interrupted.
    • Wear headphones so others can see that you’re busy.
    • Go to a coffee shop with a laptop where you’re unlikely to know anybody.
  • At Home: If you work at home with family members present, let them know what to expect if they interrupt you.
    • If you’re working in a room with a door, close the door and let people know when the door is closed, you’re working.
    • Talk to family members about how you’ll likely react if they interrupt you, and that it will take you a minute to refocus.
    • Tell them when you transition out of deep focus, it’s not personal, it’s just the transition from deep focus to focusing on something else.