Return after distraction or interruption · S2.10

Return to a task after a distraction

You notice your attention has moved away from what you intended to do.

Everyday practice

Try these steps

1. Name the distraction briefly without criticizing yourself: a sound, another task, a message, or a thought.
2. Decide whether it needs action now. If it can wait, make a short reminder rather than trying to hold it in mind.
3. Read or name the next step of the original task and choose whether to resume it.

An example

I remembered an email. I’ll note it beside me and return to finishing this sentence.

Reflect

Did the reminder help, or did the task need a different stopping point?

Next time

Adjust reminders and breaks based on what you noticed.