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Comment by Veen | Hacker News Reader

I'm a writer by trade and I have a similar problem. It's nigh-on impossible to communicate why it's painful to be interrupted when I'm typing or even just staring into space thinking. Much conflict with significant others has been caused by their inability to understand that breaking my train of thought costs me more than 30 seconds of productivity.

In fact, it's especially bad when it looks like I'm doing nothing. Often, I'll be working out the structure of a long article in my head, crafting the argument and how each paragraph contributes to it. The whole thing collapses when I'm interrupted. At that point, asking if I want a cup of tea is likely to receive a sharp response.

Today, I don't bother explaining: I just make sure that I have a place I can go where I won't be interrupted.

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I came to the same conclusion. If you have someone around who can't help interrupt you, either by directly asking you for responses or doing distracting behavior, it's wise to simply get your own room, in the house or in a coworking space or a proper office. It doesn't matter how much you try to coach and train someone to respect your need for peace and quiet while working. It only leads to arguments and bitterness. It's much healthier to solve it by physically moving to a quiet place. I found that while it's possible to get work done in that environment, moving to your own space by yourself is a whole different experience. You can finally concentrate without fear of distraction (which is itself a distraction).

> You can finally concentrate without fear of distraction (which is itself a distraction)

This is a very clear articulation of something I have been trying to put into words for years. My family doesn't understand why I can't get anything done when they are around, even if they aren't speaking to me. It's because I know there is the potential for interruption, which in and of itself is enough to prevent me from truly getting into the "deep work" state.

Does anyone else do this? I can switch to autopilot and apparently hold shallow conversations with people, even when deeply concentrated.

I don't remember any of it afterward, no idea what I said, but apparently it's good enough and coherent to get people off my back. "Yes, tea please."

I have this when I'm fully "in the flow". I can talk with people about trivial / irrelevant things on full autopilot. OTOH, when I'm struggling with something that requires unpleasant amounts of concentration, any interruption is likely to receive a very unpleasant response.

I've had some success relating one of my favorite jokes from the TV show "Big Bang Theory".

Dr. Stephanie: "So what did you do today?"

Leonard: "Well, I'm a physicist, so... I thought about stuff."

Dr. S: "Is that all?"

L: "I wrote some of it down."

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