Batch all reactive tasks into defined windows

Reply to email, messages, and minor requests only in scheduled windows — not continuously.

Why it works

Switching between focused work and reactive tasks incurs attention residue: a portion of attention stays on the previous task, degrading performance on both. Batching collapses many context-switches into a single transition, dramatically reducing the residue cost. It also eliminates the cue-response loop that makes real-time notification checking habitual.

How to do it

1. Choose 2–3 windows per day for reactive work (e.g., 10 am, 2 pm, end of day).
2. Turn off email and message notifications outside these windows.
3. In windows, process reactively; outside windows, anything reactive waits.
4. Communicate the schedule to colleagues with a brief auto-responder or direct note the first week.

Evidence

Attention residue research (Sophie Leroy) found measurable performance decrements from task-switching, supporting batching as a way to reduce switching costs. Email checking frequency has also been studied in relation to stress. Interruption research (Mark, Gudith & Klocke, 2008) further found that interrupted work is completed faster but at the cost of higher stress, frustration, and effort — the switching tax batching is designed to avoid. (observational)

Both studies are observational or experimental in lab/diary contexts; real-world batching depends on job type and organizational culture. Not all roles can batch — some require real-time responsiveness.

Sources

• Leroy (2009), "Why is it so hard to do my work?", Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
• Kushlev & Dunn (2015), checking email less frequently reduces stress, Computers in Human Behavior
• Leroy, S. (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109(2), 168–181.
• Kushlev, K., & Dunn, E. W. (2015). Checking email less frequently reduces stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 220–228.
• Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '08), 107–110.

Common mistake

Setting the batching rule but leaving notifications on — which means every ping still interrupts attention even if you don’t respond, negating the residue benefit.