I never thought I’d ever admit to something like this, at least not publicly, but the small talk in the office I used to find awkward I’m seriously starting to miss. Ditto the colleagues I used to find distracting and the unplanned meetings I used to think were a waste of time. A year or so of working from home has converted me into an impossible introvert: one who craves lots of social interaction, no matter the source, no matter how disruptive.

That desperation for relational contact with other human beings doesn’t negate the annoying and frustrating nature of workplace interruptions. Every knock on the door, every tap on the shoulder, every ding of the messenger alert – all of it diminishes productivity, elevates the risk of error, spikes the heart rate and narrows the blood vessels. But that emotional and physiological reaction soon subsides and what takes its place is a serene sense of peace and harmony.

OK, maybe not so much peace and harmony, but certainly an increase in one’s wellness. That’s indeed a key finding of soon-to-be-published research in the esteemed Journal of Applied Psychology which examined the positive outcomes that emerge when people are interrupted at work.

Drawing on prior research that analysed the extent to which employees are confronted by work intrusions (which, as an aside, is three times per hour on average), the scholars surveyed 111 full-time employees twice a day – once at lunch and once at the end of their workday – for three weeks.

Yes, there were downsides. The interruptions, for instance, depleted people’s energy, raised their levels of stress and made it more challenging to control their emotions.

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But there were also notable upsides. They felt like they belonged; like they mattered. Not by a little but a lot. And that eventually led to strengthened job satisfaction. Indeed, the negative sentiments triggered in the initial moments of the interruption were far outweighed by the positive after effects.

Now here’s what surprised the researchers most of all. The type of intrusion appeared to influence whether employees were left frowning or smiling. If they had been disturbed for work-related reasons such as requests for help and information, that was seemingly not as good. In contrast, if they had been disturbed for reasons unrelated to work like a casual chit-chat, that was much better, perhaps because a brief social catch-up represents a “respite from the monotony of daily work”.

That’s not to say they’re the only determinants of employees’ reactions upon being interrupted. It’s reasonable to assume their workload would also have an impact. Likewise the kind of job they have, particularly the control and autonomy they’re afforded in their role.