Words can never hurt me...hmmm let's think about that one for a minute!

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Have you ever been in a situation where you concentrate so hard to complete a task and then someone interrupts you? 

A short interruption takes away precious time and makes it very hard to concentrate again. 

Did you know that when you are interrupted it can take between 23 and 25 minutes to get back to your specific task? 

Yip, it really takes that long!

It takes a lot of self-discipline to work from home and we communicate mainly through skype at work. With the amount of work we have to do in one day, we don't have a minute to waste and a short interruption can lengthen that task.  

If I concentrate on work and someone sends me a message, it just breaks my concentration immediately because now I am curious about what they want.  Sometimes I try to just ignore them, but often (because I am too curious) I would give them an immediate answer which then turns into a full-blown conversation and my concentration is out the door!

I often overreact to things that happen during my workday, simply because the messages are always "URGENT" and when I finally get to it, I realize that it is a nitty-gritty thing that could have waited.  Often I react negatively without thinking about the consequences of my words and then it leaves me frustrated because now my co-worker is upset with me.  

Now I have to sort that out first, before continuing with my work, which is another waste of time.  It is indeed a vicious cycle. 

The point that I'm trying to make is not that you should NOT interrupt someone while they work (Okay that too!) but rather the way that you react when you are interrupted.

Think about the following scenario:

You couldn't finish a task at work, because you were interrupted too many times, so you are already irritated. Then you take work home to complete otherwise you might not meet your deadline. You have not seen your child or your partner during the day, and you need to spend time with them. You feed them, do your chores, etc and when all the dust has settled you slip away to go sit in the most private place at home to work.  

Ahhh sanity! 

You pray for no interruptions, and you focus extremely hard to get the job done quickly. Then your partner or your child walks in to ask you something and you snap. You say something that you will definitely regret before even thinking about it and then it's too late.  You are now angry at the wrong person.  You take out your frustration on the wrong person and the words that you use, cannot be pulled back. 

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me!

Hmmm, let's think about that one for a minute.  Words hurt more than anything else.   

Psychological damage can not be easily undone!

It is easier to build strong children than to repair a broken man - Frederick Douglass

Even after intense therapy, wounds may be gone, but scars are still there. As adults we just learn how to deal with things in different ways, we move on, but the scars are just hidden. Any little thing that remotely reminds us of that scar can make us feel threatened, and make us react negatively.

Whenever we are pressured, worried or irritated or even sick, we react differently than when we are calm and relaxed. Negative reactions can cause physical health issues, like depression and anxiety. This, in turn, contributes to a weaker immune system. 

Reacting in a negative way can become a habit, so stop it now!

It is often very difficult to break a habit, but nothing is impossible.  It is never too late.  Make a point of at least smiling even though you might not feel friendly.  Toughen up and let your co-workers know that you do not want to be disturbed.  Try to change YOUR behavior.  Focus on how you talk to people and try NOT to take work home. Your family deserves to spend valuable time with you.