6 Steps to Limit Interruptions in Your Day as a Developer
We must talk about interruptions - and not the hardware-level ones. If your day is full of interruptions, you won’t be able to be a productive software engineer. Thinking clearly, writing code to solve complex problems needs time not filled with pings, e-mails, or even worse taps on the shoulders.
Limiting interruptions isn’t about being antisocial - it’s about protecting your focus so you can do your best work.
I’ll never forget the first time I explained to a new team of mine that they shouldn’t even expect me to react immediately to chat messages because I try to limit interruptions. One of my teammates got really upset. He clearly didn’t like my approach.
Fast forward a few months, he went to the same time-management training I had attended some time ago. After the training, he immediately contacted me and told me I was so right! He even suggested that we should somehow enforce this habit in the team.
Let’s see now 6 ways to limit interruptions in your workday.
1. Mute your e-mail client and messaging apps
Even if you don’t have pop-ups for incoming emails, hearing a beep or seeing that little red dot is distracting. Immediately, your mind jumps: What’s this about? Is it important? Should I reply now? Don’t even let those questions arise. Mute your e-mail client. Do the same with chat apps. No beeps, no badges, no distractions, unless you choose to check them.
But how will people reach you? That leads to the next point.
2. Check e-mails only 2-3 times a day
The key is: check your emails when you want to! Not when you’re conditioned to by a sound or visual cue. Typically, I batch-check emails two or three times a day and you should too. I may glance at them quickly between two Pomodoros, but I try not to fall into the rabbit hole of responding right away.
For chat apps, I often check them after each Pomodoro session. That way, people still get a timely response, but I’m not constantly switching contexts.
3. If people come to your desk …
… encourage them to message you instead the next time. Then if you are focused on something, you can delay the reply until you have a natural break in your work. If you use the Pomodoro technique, they won’t have to wait longer than 25 or maybe 50 minutes. Most people are totally fine with this.
Over time, people learn when and how to reach you. You don’t have to shut them out completely—you just help them understand your rhythm.
4. Use Visual Cues
A simple “Do Not Disturb” sign, or even wearing headphones, can signal that you’re deep in focus mode. In remote teams, your Slack status can do the same job: "🧠 In deep work, back at :25" is clear and respectful. People are usually happy to wait if they know when you’ll be available.
If you work in an office, you might even set up a busylight on the top of your screen like this one. People will immediately see whether you are available or not.
5. Disable Browser Notifications
Apart from e-mail clients and messaging apps, I used to get tons of notifications. GitHub alerts, calendar reminders, Facebook notifications and random app nudges straight from the browser. One day I realized I had dozens of tabs open, and eight of them were shouting at me. Not anymore. I disabled browser notifications for almost everything - except my Pomodoro timer. Now, my browser is just a tool—not the main source of distraction.
6. Block Distracting Sites
Speaking of the devil. If you catch yourself scrolling Hacker News, Reddit, or X in moments of low focus, consider using tools like LeechBlock or StayFocusd to limit access during work hours. Don’t rely on your discipline. Your willpower only goes as far. Design your environment to make it easy to stay on track.
Final Thoughts
Limiting interruptions isn’t about being rigid or antisocial—it’s about being intentional. You want to make space for deep work and still be available for your team. With a few changes to how you manage notifications, check messages, and communicate expectations, you can reclaim hours of productive time each week.