Single-tasking the sprint

Commit each pomodoro to exactly one task — switching forfeits the sprint.

Why it works

Every switch between tasks carries a cognitive switch cost: the brain has to reload context, and residual attention from the previous task lingers and degrades performance. Binding one pomodoro to one task removes the moment-to-moment choice to switch, which is where most focus leaks happen.

How to do it

1. Name the single task before you start the timer.
2. If a new task tempts you, write it down and return to the current one.
3. If you genuinely switch tasks, void the pomodoro and start fresh.

Evidence

Task-switching costs and "attention residue" are well documented in cognitive psychology: switching tasks slows performance and leaves part of attention stuck on the prior task. (observational)

Switch-cost studies are mostly lab-based; the size of the effect in messy real work varies.

Sources

• Leroy (2009), "Why is it so hard to do my work?" attention residue, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Common mistake

Quietly checking messages "for a second" during a sprint and counting it as single-tasking. A glance is a switch, and the residue follows you back.