Constantly Switching Between Apps

Moving between apps throughout the day can make you feel productive because you’re always doing something. You answer a message, check your email, look at your calendar, open Safari, then return to the document you were writing before another notification pulls you somewhere else.

Each switch forces your brain to refocus. Even if you remember where you left off, you still need a moment to rebuild your train of thought. Those interruptions happen so often that many people stop noticing them, even though they slow you down every time.

A better approach is to group similar work together whenever possible so you don’t have to hop between apps all that often. If you’re going to answer messages, answer several at once instead of responding every few minutes. If you need to review your calendar, do so before starting your next project rather than checking it repeatedly throughout the day.

Focus modes on your Apple devices can also help by hiding distracting apps while you’re working. You can build a specific Home Screen for when you’re working so social media or messaging apps disappear for a while.