Build a two-minute transition buffer between activities

Leave a short blank buffer between any prior activity and the work that needs to start.

Why it works

Task switching imposes a residual-attention cost: the prior context lingers in working memory and competes with the new task. For people with weak task initiation, shifting directly from one demand to the next compounds the start problem — the nervous system is still in the prior activity’s mode. A brief, low-demand buffer (stretching, walking to the desk, silence) allows working memory to clear and the initiation cue to register cleanly.

How to do it

1. Schedule two minutes of no-content time between your last activity and the next task.
2. Fill it with something physical and low-demand: stand, walk, get water.
3. Treat the buffer as part of the work block, not dead time to fill with email.

Evidence

Attention residue research (Leroy, 2009) shows that incomplete prior tasks impair performance on subsequent ones. Transition buffers apply this finding to task initiation: clearing the prior context before engaging the new one. (observational)

Sources

• Leroy (2009), "Why Is It So Hard to Do My Work?", Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Common mistake

Filling the buffer with scrolling or a quick email check, which introduces new residue rather than clearing it.