[mooreds]

When I am interrupted, I almost always ask "Hey, can I talk to you in 5 min?" Unless it is an emergency, the answer is "yes".

Then I spend those 5 minute capturing context. This makes it easier (not easy, but easier) to return to the task after the discussion.

Another good thing to do is limit chances to be interrupted. Sign out of slack, close your email. Check these once every few hours. Oftentimes someone will ping you then solve their own issue with further research.

The above answer the headline question, but the deeper one comes in your text. "How can I live in the present" is how I interpret that. I don't know how to answer that, but focusing on the shortness of time you have on this planet has helped me be more present.