4 Ways to Stay Focused at Work and Handle Interruptions

Are constant interruptions at work stopping you from getting through your most important tasks? If you work in HR or a People role, you’ll know how quickly your day can be taken over by “have you got a minute?” moments - making it difficult to focus on the work that really matters. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay Wallis shares practical ways to protect your time, reduce distractions and create more space for focused work, helping you step up with more confidence and control in your role. HR Coffee Time Podcast | Episode 170 🎯 YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO: -Set clear boundaries without feeling unhelpful Reduce interruptions across your organisation Create uninterrupted time for deep work Stay focused on your most important priorities ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Do you get interrupted at work? 00:16 Interruptions – a big time management problem 00:55 Why HR gets pulled in 01:35 Episode goal and boundaries 01:56 Welcome and host intro 02:33 Four tips overview 03:00 Tip one: open door hours 03:35 Scripts and signage 04:06 Red sign boundary lesson 05:07 Tip two: company focus time 06:15 Deep work explained 07:11 No meeting Wednesday example 07:28 Tip three: working meetings 10:21 Tip four: block a deep work day 12:26 Recap and next steps 🔗 USEFUL LINKS Connect with Fay on LinkedIn:   / faywallis   💌 Subscribe to Fay’s free weekly email newsletter for more HR career tips: https://brightskycareercoaching.kit.c... 📝 Learn about The Essential HR Planner: https://essentialhrplanner.co.uk/ 🎓 Learn about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-leadersh... 🧭 Take the free HR Leadership Impact Assessment: https://hr-leadership-impact.scoreapp... 🎧 HELPFUL EPISODES TO LISTEN TO NEXT (Audio only) • Ep 7: What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Hours in the Day: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-t... •Ep 45: 6 Ways to Stop Procrastinating & Find Time for Important Projects at Work: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-t... Ep 52: Two Ideas to Help You Bounce Back From a Tough Day at Work: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-t... Ep 67: How to Get on Top of Email Overwhelm When You’re in a Busy HR Role”: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-t... Ep 138: Can’t Find Time for Strategic Work in HR? 5 Tips to Help: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-t... 🔔 IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE... If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might benefit from it. And if you give any of the ideas a try, Fay would love to hear how you get on — leave a comment below or send her a message on LinkedIn.