As I am that person who is so easily distracted by shiny things, interruptions are the bane of my life!
Like many others, I am sure, my mind tends to be in a bit of a swirl at the best of times, because I have so many shiny things (and less shiny things) to think about - in my case, the new website, Rapport editorial, conference programme, accounts, emails...any number of work projects as well as home projects, people I care about, things I have to do, things I want to do...you get the gist.
And because my mind does swirl about so much, I choose to take time to smooth out the swirls, calm the waves and generally get myself into the right state so I can actually focus and flow, focus and flow...create rhythmic waves, ebbing and flowing rather than swirling and crashing.
This is just my way of being and where I am at peace - I get so much more work done when there is a sense of calm - I can focus and flow and I love being productive and time efficient - its one of my happy places!
So when I am interrupted in my focus/flow state, I sometimes get a little tetchy...my smoothly flowing waters are disrupted and start to swirl once more.
Years ago, I learned to apply Stephen Covey's 4 quadrant model to the interruption - is that really urgent and important (to me) right now? Or could it wait until I have finished doing what is important to me? Where would I place this interruption in the 4 quadrant model?
But that didn't always help because, of course, that was just my map of the world and we all have our own maps - which basically means that what is less important to me may be really important to the other person...or its just a shiny thing which is calling out for my attention!
So, I can be more compassionate and understanding of myself and others (sometimes!) and restore the calm waters in my mind a little more quickly nowadays.
And, like most things in my life, its still a work in progress...as I have just proved by emptying the washing machine before finishing this sentence! The washing machine is neither shiny nor important...but it did play a tune when it finished, so I lost my flow again, just for a second!!