Attention residue makes Multitasking a killer of performance - 3 tips to stay on top of it

Many people believe that multitasking makes them super productive. But, in fact, the opposite is true. If you want to bring your performance to the next level, you need to become a pro at unitasking. 

Quick switching between tasks or getting interrupted for a few seconds results in attention residue - attention that stayed on the previous thought. 

Watch the video to learn more about it and also how to minimize the impact of attention residue on your performance.
If you prefer to read, please scroll down to the article.

Fact:

This attention residue causes about 23 minutes of lost productivity after switching, interruption, or distraction, according to Sophie Leroy. 

Just consider what it means. It takes 23 minutes to regain focus and get back to deep work.

Disruptions are more damaging than we think, and they are everywhere. And unfortunately, the overload of information is there to stay. So it is imperative to learn how to manage our attention effectively. 

Especially that attention residue doesn't only impair productivity.

The quality of our thinking suffers, too. 

On top of it, research shows that the more our mind wanders, the more unhappy we feel. And according to Gilbert and Killingsworth, our mind wanders about 47% of our waking time!

Yes, we are all much more distracted than we think. 

So next time you allow yourself to check who sent you the message on WhatsApp while you're at deep cognitive work, think twice. 

The cost of this 10-second glance is 10 seconds and 23 min, the superficial quality of your thought and harmful effect on your mental health. 

So how about we take a step towards becoming a pro at unitasking now. 

Here are four ways I cut the attention residue in my work:

ONE: Ban all notifications on your phone and computer. 

I always have all notifications off, but when I start my deep work block, I also switch my phone to "Do not Disturb" mode. 

And if I am not mistaken, all smartphones nowadays have a way to switch all off by changing status to some sort of "focus time." 

So invest some time to learn about this functionality on your phone and start using it. It will save you lots of time later. 

There are some helpful apps to support you if you can't stay away from some apps on your phone or computer. 

They restrict your access for the defined time. 

What I prefer are the apps that support focus time and, at the same time, track progress. 

I use the Forest app and RescueTime to keep on top of my progress. I will link them below for you. 

Are you using any apps to improve focus? Please share your recommendation in the comments below. 

TWO: Block time on your calendar for deep work.

I cannot repeat this often enough. 

Every single of my high-performing clients starts with one block of 60 or 90 minutes. 

After some weeks, they start experiencing the benefits. And soon after, they all reorganize and block a whole day for undisturbed deep work. 

Thanks to time blocking, many of my clients stopped working at night and continued achieving more than before. 

THREE: Clean up your office and desktop.

The more cluttered the space around you, the more opportunities to get distracted. 

Look around and identify stuff that should not be on your desk and remove it. See how a clean desk creates clarity of your thoughts and stimulates focus. 

FOUR: Block time on your calendar for your e-mail. 

Do you find yourself stuck reading and responding to e-mails for hours and hours? Do not allow your mailbox to dictate your program of the day and add to attention residue. 

I don't know about you, but my mailbox fills up faster than I can blink. 

And much of the stuff I only want to read once per week. 

It is easy to get it under control if you have an assistant pre-screening your e-mails. 

Or, instead, you can "employ" some intelligent software that will do the job and save you time going through it all. 

I am now using Unroll.Me app, and I love that I only see what I need to see in my mailbox. 

Take your decision to fight the attention residue now. 

Cut some of the interruptions that cause it by applying one of the tips above, and your performance will skyrocket. 

How are you staying focused on deep work? 

What is the biggest distraction that breaks your attention?

How will you eliminate it?