It's TED Talks Daily. I'm Elise Hugh. Constant interruptions, whether it's email or social media or just the pesky pings of notifications.

We lose meaning and joy when we keep getting constantly distracted. In the first episode of the new season of Ted's original series, The Way We Work,

Ashley Willens lays out strategies to reclaim our time and focus on savoring the moments in our

lives. To watch the whole series in video, visit ted.com slash the way we work.

For so many of us, myself included, our days feel filled with a million small interruptions.

And this is true even of our days off.

Maybe you've taken a call at the beach, texted your boss from the grocery store, or emailed a colleague while on a picnic with your family.

We've convinced ourselves that these behaviors are no big deal.

It's just one email.

But there's a real cost to these interruptions,

and there are smart strategies we can all take to better protect our time.

These moments seem so small at the time, and yet research suggests they add up to a tremendous

loss.

The constant creep of work into our personal lives can increase our stress and undermine our

happiness.

So just what is the cost? In one study, researchers recruited

parents who were visiting a science museum with their kids. Some parents were told to check their

phone as much as possible, others were told to check their phone as little as possible.

After the visit, parents who used their phones reported that the experience was significantly

less meaningful.

They also felt much lonelier. In another study, tourists who were asked to have their phones out

while visiting an iconic church remembered fewer details a week later. And in my research,

...