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The Easiest Ways to Signal That You Don’t Want Any Interruptions at Work

From sticky notes to mood plushies, here's how to indicate you don't want to be interrupted right now.
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Several workers sitting at computers in open office space
Credit: LightField Studios - Shutterstock

Technology often makes it easy to signal when you don’t want to be bothered. You can toggle on “do not disturb” features if you use an iPhone and anyone who tries to text you will be notified, for instance, that you’re not going to see their message right away. You can wear headphones and people get the idea that you’re otherwise occupied. But what about when you’re working in your home or office? How can you show you’re in the zone on a project or need some solo time without needing to tell everyone who wanders by? Here are a few ideas.

What to say if someone interrupts you at work

In the event someone does encroach on your productivity, know what you’ll say: Come up with something in advance but keep it direct and simple. You can try, “Hey, I’m tied up at the moment, but I’ll reach out to you when I’m done in about an hour.”

Don’t ask if you can reach out later or if the issue can wait; that just gives the other person an opportunity to jump in and say their need is urgent. Rather, give them a clear timeline of when they can expect to hear from you—this works on Slack, in email, and in person.

Use pre-establish signals

To avoid having to explain you’re busy in the moment, pre-establish some signals with your colleagues, family members, roommates, or whoever else in advance. A few options can look like this:

  • When your door is closed, it means you’re busy.

  • When you have a sticky note on your computer monitor, it means you’re busy.

  • When a certain item (like a mood-indicating plushie) is on your desk, it means you’re busy.

  • When you work from home, it means you’re busy and will only field necessary and urgent messages.

Whatever you come up with, explain it in advance to the people who are going to see it. A plushie on your desk doesn’t mean much to someone who hasn’t been briefed.

There is an inexpensive, tech-based option you can look into, too: A busy light. It’s a small LED flag that attaches to your computer monitor or desk and features the ability to change colors. Red can mean you’re busy, green can mean it’s cool to talk to you, and blue can mean you’re working but available for urgent needs. Try this one on Amazon for $40.

Lindsey Ellefson
Lindsey Ellefson
Features Editor

Lindsey Ellefson is Lifehacker’s Features Editor. She currently covers study and productivity hacks, as well as household and digital decluttering, and oversees the freelancers on the sex and relationships beat. She spent most of her pre-Lifehacker career covering media and politics for outlets like Us Weekly, CNN, The Daily Dot, Mashable, Glamour, and InStyle. In recent years, her freelancing has focused on drug use and the overdose crisis, with pieces appearing in Vanity Fair, WIRED, The New Republic, The Daily Beast, and more. Her story for BuzzFeed News won the 2022 American Journalism Online award for Best Debunking of Fake News.

In addition to her journalism, Lindsey is a student at the NYU School of Global Public Health, where she is working toward her Master of Public Health and conducting research on media bias in reporting on substance use with the Opioid Policy Institute’s Reporting on Addiction initiative. She is also a Schwinn-certified spin class teacher. She won a 2023 Dunkin’ Donuts contest that earned her a year of free coffee. Lindsey lives in New York, NY.

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