Table 2 Master themes and sub-themes.

Environmental distractions impact reliable work performance

Work performance outcomes

External distractions (auditory and visual)

Internal distractions

Consequences of distractibility reach beyond task outcomes

Social consequences with colleagues

Financial consequences

Distractibility creates strong emotional feelings and worry about perceived work performance

Fear and anxiety about others’ perceptions of work performance

Chain effect on emotions

Mitigating distractibility requires “gaming the system”

Beating the fatigue clock

Environmental supports

Utilizing music as a distraction masker to enhance task performance