The neighborhood rooster didn’t get the memo about Daylight Savings Time last week.
It’s bad enough that he usually commences crowing 5 am on the dot everyday with out fail.
However, when we turned our clocks back for Daylight Savings Time last week, 4 am became his new “go time.”
Mr. Rooster interrupted. Mr. Rooster and also roused my husband, who reacted with a Crumlin-Dublin expression. Then because my husband is is a MAN, he was able to turn his brain off and went back to sleep.
Not me. I lay there thinking about the Mr. Rooster and my go-to mantra, “ I will use this experience for something.”
Most of us are also guilty of this annoying habit, whether we like to admit it or not. Unlike Mr. Rooster, who interrupts the neighborhood’s sleep patterns because of Mother Nature’s programming, Humans can increase our self-awareness and do something about it.
So, I thought about how Mr. Rooster had brought my attention to a challenge that we experience during our daily conversations — interruptions.
What triggers our need to interrupt?
- A desire to be right or make a point
- Impatience or time pressure
- A need to complete a train of thought
- A desire to assert power
- A lack of self-awareness
- A fear of forgetting what you want to say
People interrupt for a variety of reasons, including:
- To assert power: Interrupting can be a way to demonstrate dominance in a conversation.
- To complete a thought: Someone might interrupt to add to what the other person is saying or to clarify something.
- Mental health conditions: People with ADHD or other mental health conditions may be more likely to interrupt.
- Anxiety: Someone might interrupt if they’re anxious about continuing a conversation.
- Narcissism: Narcissists might feel the need to dominate conversations.
- Social awkwardness: Someone who doesn’t know the conversation etiquette might interrupt.
- Short-term memory: Someone with short-term memory challenges might interrupt if they suddenly remember something.
- Extroversion: Extroverts might want to move a conversation forward.
What happens when we interrupt someone?
. Interrupting can make others feel irritated, frustrated, or angry.
. It can also make people feel disrespected and
. make the interrupter appear rude or egotistical.
. It could influence the other party’s interest in having future conversations.
What actions can we take to minimize and avoid our need to interrupt?
· You can begin your conversation agreeing on how you will let the other person know you’d like to make a point. ( ie. You will put your hand up or lift a pen — aka have manners)
· To reduce interruptions, try waiting a second after someone finishes speaking before you speak.
· You can also take a note if you’re worried that you’ll forget what you wanted to say
. Use your energy to listen
· You can also practice thinking, “Nothing I plan to say is so important that it can’t wait for a few minutes.”
Set ground rules for your selve and others and learn more about the art of listening!
Resources:
How to deal with interrupters and get a word in edgewise
Interrupting is more harmful than you think.
How to respond to being interrupted
Wiley Library – Research on interruptions