Stop the 'Quick Call' Trap: Overcoming Notification Distractions When Working Remotely

You’re deep in focused work when a colleague pings you with those two words (i.e., Quick Call?) and nothing else. No context, no urgency indicator, no hint about what they need.

(Problem) Intro

One of my friends who works remotely full-time recently approached me, saying that he gets constant interruptions from colleagues through the chat application, asking for a “Quick call?”. None of the colleagues mentions any indication about what the call is about. When he got into the call, he immediately realised that the enquiry could have been easily rectified by just using the chat with a few sentences, instead of being on the call for 10-20 minutes. I am sure it’s not just him who has faced this experience; many of you (including myself) have faced it many times when working remotely and have also been on both sides of the conundrum.

In this article, we’ll explore how constant interruptions create switching costs that hurt productivity, and discuss practical solutions through company policies and software configurations.

(Productivity Bottleneck) Switch Cost

One of the key productivity bottlenecks in constant interruptions is the switch cost. Task interruption switch cost leads to negative impacts on productivity, efficiency, and well-being when a person switches between tasks.

Switch cost can account for the following problems.

Time loss: The time loss due to the interruption.
Resumption lag: Research shows it takes an average of 23 minutes¹ to regain focus after a distraction.
Increased errors: Higher mistakes compared to an uninterrupted task².
Reduced productivity: Task interruption prolongs the process of selecting the next task within the current task, resulting in an overall decrease in productivity.
Mental fatigue: Additional cognitive burnout due to keeping the primary task in active memory all the time.

(Solution 1) Clearly Defined Communication Protocols

Each organisation should have a clearly defined communication protocol to encourage collaboration as well as interruption-free time for focused work.

For example,

Primary channels, such as Slack/Teams, can be used for quick updates
Emails can be used for formal correspondence
Video/audio calls can be used for in-depth discussions

The policy should also include response time expectations (e.g., urgent queries within 1 hour, general inquiries within one business day) and clarify points of contact for technical support, HR matters, and project-related topics.

Check out my article about ‘Unclear Policies on Remote Work Expectations‘.

(Solution 2) Software optimisations

You can adjust the tools you use daily to filter out unwanted notifications that interrupt your focused work sessions. In the following sections, I’ll refer to commonly used communication tools such as Teams and Slack, email clients like Outlook, and operating systems such as Windows and macOS to show how you can configure them to minimise distractions.

Microsoft Teams

1️⃣ Do-Not-Disturb (DND) mode with a duration

On Microsoft Teams, you can set your status to reflect whether you are currently reachable or not. To change your status, select your profile picture at the top right of Teams. Then, select a status from the drop-down list.³

Tip: You can change the status directly by right-clicking on the Teams icon on the taskbar on both Windows and Mac OS.

Windows OS

Mac OS

2️⃣ Set a status message with a duration

If you don’t want to set the status, setting an informative/short message instead can be useful. This message can be set to display when someone starts messaging you.

You can use the following informative short message template and modify it based on your specific requirement.

I'm working on [project name] with a deadline of [date] and will have reduced availability for non-urgent matters. Please call only for time-sensitive issues that can't wait until [date]. For all other requests, please send a message and I'll respond within [X hours/by date]. Thank you for your understanding

This approach will help keep non-urgent interruptions at bay until you’ve finished your current task. If the matter is genuinely urgent and someone else is available to help, they’re likely to turn to them in the meantime. That said, be mindful not to come across as uncooperative. It’s important to remain collaborative while also protecting time for focused, uninterrupted work. Finding the right balance is key.

3️⃣ Know when someone is online

This is helpful if you want to talk or chat with your colleague who is currently offline. You can keep track of someone’s status and get notified when they become available. This can also be used to notify when someone becomes offline. However, in my personal opinion, being notified when someone is offline isn’t useful.

You can set this up under the Settings -> Notification and Activity section or by right-clicking on a person.

Right-click on a person and click on “Notify when available” ⁴.

Slack

1️⃣ Pause notifications with do not disturb

On Slack, you can pause notifications with do not disturb by simply clicking on your profile icon. When you are done, you can resume notifications.

If you are short on time, you can use the slash commands⁵ to quickly turn DND on or off.

For example, pause notifications for 15 minutes

/dnd for 15 mins

and resume notifications

/dnd off

2️⃣ Mute a channel

If you are primarily interrupted by constant messages to a specific channel, you can simply mute that channel. (You can mute a channel in Teams too⁶)

Outlook

1️⃣ Block your calendar

Block your calendar for focused work and mark it as “Busy”. If you are using Microsoft Outlook and Teams, when you set the status as “Busy” in your Outlook calendar, it will show “Busy” on your Teams.

Windows OS

1️⃣ Do not disturb

You can use the Windows do-not-disturb mode to pause notifications. The Do Not Disturb mode can be used to control which notifications are shown to prevent interruptions.

To manually turn on do not disturb, open the notification center and select the bell icon with zZ on it. With do not disturb on, you will only receive banners for alarms, reminders, and apps of your choice. Other notifications are sent directly to the notification center until you turn it off.⁷

2️⃣ System > Focus

Similar to the Do Not Disturb mode, the Windows Focus feature is also designed to help you stay focused by minimising distractions⁸. Focus sessions are useful for concentrating on short periods, without any badges or flashing items appearing on the taskbar. What I particularly like about the Focus feature is the configurable desktop clock that shows how much time remains in the session. A Focus session can also be configured to enable Do Not Disturb mode.

Mac OS

1️⃣ Focus Mode

Similar to Windows, there is a Focus mode on Mac OS too. You can use this option to keep distractions at bay.

2️⃣ Block notifications from certain apps

You can turn off notifications for an app or website on your Mac. However, be aware that you will not get any notifications from that app or website until you allow them again⁹.

In a Nutshell

Overcoming notification distractions when working remotely is one of the hardest challenges faced by remote employees. A tiny 2-minute interruption can have a long-lasting effect on overall productivity and create efficiency bottlenecks. Communication distractions can be minimised by implementing well-defined communication protocols and carefully configuring the communication tools that we use day in and day out.

What is your biggest communication distraction, and how do you overcome it? Comment below.

🎯 Need Expert Help?

If you’re facing challenges with remote work, I offer 1:1 coaching and tailored support to help you succeed at remote setup. Whether you’re just starting out, growing as a remote contributor, leading a team, or launching a remote-first start-up, Remote Winners offers targeted 1:1 coaching to help you thrive in a distributed world. We also provide tech consultancy services—from idea-to-product guidance to cloud deployment and cybersecurity reviews—to help organisations strengthen their technology and processes.

If you are unsure where to begin, drop us a message and we’ll be in touch.

Stop the ‘Quick Call’ Trap: Overcoming Notification Distractions When Working Remotely

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