How do you focus on one thing at a time?

Most of us think we are good at juggling. We answer emails during calls, check messages while cooking and keep eleven tabs open in case one of them becomes urgent. It feels efficient. It mostly feels busy.

Why switching costs us

Research on task switching suggests the feeling of efficiency is misleading. In a study published in 2001 by Joshua Rubinstein, David Meyer and Jeffrey Evans, people lost time every time they switched between tasks, and the losses were bigger when the tasks were more complex or less familiar. The researchers described two stages each switch needs: deciding to change goal, and calling up the rules for the new task. Each switch may cost only a fraction of a second, but they add up over a day of constant hopping.

In everyday terms: every time you leave the report to check a message, you pay a small re-entry fee to get back into it. Pay it fifty times and the afternoon has gone.

Close what you aren't using

The simplest setup is subtraction:

• One window, one tab for the main task, if you can manage it.
• Email and messaging closed, not minimised, for set periods.
• Phone in another room or a drawer. Out of sight works far better than face down.
• Notifications off for anything that isn't from an actual person who needs you.

You are not relying on discipline to ignore distractions. You are removing them from the room.

Park the stray thoughts

One of the main reasons we switch is that something pops into our head: I must reply to Giulia, we're out of olive oil, did I book the dentist? Keep a notepad or a single note open, and write these down as they arrive. Then go straight back to the task. The thought is safe; you can deal with it later. A reliable to-do list makes this much easier to trust.

Work in blocks

Decide what you are working on and for how long. Thirty, forty-five, sixty minutes, whatever suits you and the task. During the block, it is the only thing. Between blocks, take a short break and deal with whatever has piled up.

Blocks work because they make single-tasking temporary. You are not promising never to check messages again, just not for the next forty minutes.

Batch the small stuff

Small tasks, like replies, forms, bookings and quick calls, are where switching sneaks in. Batch them: one or two slots a day for messages, an afternoon session for admin. Doing them together is quicker than scattering them through the day, and it keeps the long blocks clear.

Finish, or leave a clear note

When you stop a task, either finish the piece you are on, or write a quick note about where you were and what comes next. Starting again is much easier when you don't have to reconstruct your place.

Single-tasking outside work

The same applies at home. Cook without the phone propped up. Listen to a friend without checking the screen. Read a book without the television on. Doing one thing at a time is not only more efficient; it tends to make the thing more enjoyable.