Attention Residue: The Root Problem With Multitasking - 2 Ways To Tackle It

My biggest concern with multitasking is 'Attention Residue'.

Attention Residue is the cost you pay to switch from one task to another and come back to the original task. This creates a temporary residue of the previous task that reduces cognitive capacity.

Unfortunately, this creates inefficiencies in our work and it happens quite often. This is assumed to be harmless and innocent . Common instances like:

• Checking if anyone replied to an e-mail

• Scheduling meetings in between

• Sending a response in a hurried manner assuming people are waiting

There are ways to overcome this (with practice). Two ways to do this would be:

1. Batching Tasks And Harder Activities

Batching basically means grouping activities into time slots.

Ex: Spend 30 minutes replying to mails and setting up meetings. Using the next hour to focus on a cognitively demanding task.

One of the challenges to keep in mind would be breaking the habit of checking things in between. It gets easier when the benefits are evident.

2. Use A Ritual To Clear Attention Residue

It's a little tricky to immediately switch between batched tasks. A ritual to clear residue helps.

• Preparing Coffee or Tea

• Talking to a colleague/ friend about sports (a topic not related to work)

• Going for a short walk/ journaling

It's important to realize that undoing the effects of attention residue requires unlearning the concept of Multitasking. The compounding benefits in efficiency are an encouraging metric to follow.

“Efforts to deepen your focus will struggle if you don’t simultaneously wean your mind from a dependence on distraction.” ― Cal Newport

Source: My Notes from ‘Deep Questions’ by Cal Newport