Task Monogamy

I write better distracted. After years of editing the internet, I had to adapt to writing while doom-scrolling, hearing the bings and bongs of constant notifications, receiving news alerts, and, these days, hearing the near-constant sound of my own moaning. Apparently, this is not the way to be most productive. But, “in a world full of distractions, getting your brain to focus on one thing at a time requires radical measures.” David Epstein in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Secret to Success Is Monotasking. “Here’s the frightening part: We gravitate to a customary level of interruption. If you are disrupted by notifications all day, every day, then even if those external triggers magically disappear, you will unconsciously start interrupting yourself to maintain the rhythm of distraction you’re used to. That is why the mere presence of a smartphone on a desk or in a ­pocket—even if it is turned off—has been shown to impair performance on cognitive tests, particularly among people who are more phone dependent.”