Stop Task-Switching and Get Stuff Done

by Rochelle Melander

How often do you switch tasks?

Gloria Mark, the author of Attention Span, tracked people who used an electronic device and noted every time they shifted their focus. In the early 2000s, it was roughly every 2.5 minutes. Now it’s every 47 seconds.

And here’s the real kicker. Once you switch tasks, it takes you an average of twenty-five minutes, twenty-six seconds to return to work again on the initial task. In between, you’ll touch about 2.26 other projects. (Attention Span by Gloria Marks)

But that’s not the real problem.

In one of Marks’s studies, they measured stress levels of people who were interrupted. She writes, “people reported experiencing significantly higher mental workload, frustration, time pressure, effort and stress.” (Gloria Marks, p. 119)

If it’s this is so costly, why do we switch tasks?

Gloria Marks says that 56 percent of the time it’s due to external interruptions. (DMs! Boss! Kids!)

But 44 percent of the time, we switch because of an internal tug. We’re bored, stressed, or seek information.

Interruptions happen. You have minimal control over the external ones. (Yes, you can shut off notifications to email or LinkedIn, but you may need to be available if your boss or a client.) You have more control over internal interruptions.

Either way, here’s how to stay productive:

+Stop at a breaking point rather than in the middle of a task.

+If you must stop in the middle, record where you were and what you need to do next.

+When you self-interrupt, especially because you’re stressed or bored, stay offline! Instead, take a walk. Bonus points if you walk in nature—that’s one of the fastest ways you can restore your ability to pay attention.

How do you stay productive in this era of task switching?