You’re frantically trying to meet a deadline when a co-worker asks: “Got a minute?”

You think to yourself: “Really, do I look like I’m not doing anything?” How could your co-worker not notice stress oozing from every pore in your body?

In all fairness, though, you always racing to meet a deadline, and being a little less than patient, may be because you’re having a hard time staying focused on the task at hand. To help with that, here are four ways to eliminate distractions at work.

Workplace distractions happen to us all, but rather than fall victim to pleas for help from co-workers and other emergencies, Edward G. Brown, author of “The Time Bandit Solution: Recovering Stolen Time You Never Knew You Had,” provides the following tips to become the master of your time:

Track Interruptions

It is almost impossible to prevent your colleagues from interrupting you, but you can change how you respond when they do. Of course, if it were so easy to say “no,” you would be doing it already. It is difficult to change your behaviors, so in order to give yourself the incentive to do so, get proof of how much time you are losing.

On a daily basis, keep track of the number of interruptions you face and how much time you’ve lost. If you realize that you could have four more hours a week by eliminating distractions, how would that motivate you?

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by Hannah Morgan

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