Context Switching: The Productivity Drain You Didn’t See Coming
- Jacqui Walsh
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 10
…and what to do about it.
You start the day with a plan. You check your email. Someone pings you on Teams. A meeting gets dropped into your calendar. You respond to a question, then circle back to the thing you were halfway doing… wait, what was that again?
Welcome to the exhausting world of context switching.
What is context switching?
Context switching is what happens when we hop from task to task without completing the first one — like mental channel surfing. It feels like we’re getting heaps done, but we’re really just scattering our focus and draining our brainpower.
It’s one of the biggest hidden killers of productivity in today’s workplaces.
And the worst part? It tricks us. It feels like we’re being productive. But often, it’s just busy work dressed up as effectiveness.
At PEP, we say: Effectiveness is doing the right things — not everything.
So how do we fight back against the chaos?
Here are some practical, doable strategies to help you switch gears less — and get more done with less stress.
🧠 1. Stop multitasking (spoiler: it doesn’t work)
Let’s call this one early: multitasking is a myth. The human brain just can’t do two complex things at once — it’s just switching rapidly between tasks, and it’s exhausting.
Try this instead:
Close extra browser tabs (seriously, how did we get to 23 open tabs anyway?)
Use Do Not Disturb on your devices when you need to focus
Turn off notifications — yes, even that friendly little Teams ‘ping’
📦 2. Batch similar tasks
Batching is like doing laundry — you wouldn’t wash each sock separately (we hope). So why respond to emails, approve requests, and make phone calls all at random?
Try this instead:
Block time for “email hour” or “approval catch-up”
Group similar work together so your brain stays in one gear longer
Bonus tip: Name your time blocks — “Focus Time” sounds better than “stare blankly and panic”
📅 3. Time block like a boss
If your calendar is only for meetings, you’re missing its superpower.
Try this instead:
Put everything in your calendar — from deep work to thinking time
Create space that protects your attention (and sanity)
Time blocking helps you work with intention, not reaction
🔁 4. Reduce open loops
You know that nagging feeling you’ve forgotten something? That’s an open loop. And it steals your focus like a toddler with a whistle.
Try this instead:
Write it down. Anywhere you trust — OneNote, Outlook Tasks, a notebook ... anywhere!
Create a “holding bay” for ideas you’ll come back to in your next planning session
Get it out of your head and let your brain relax
📬 5. Tame the inbox
Checking your email “just quickly” is the modern equivalent of falling into a time vortex. Every glance is a context switch.
Try this instead:
Process emails at set times (not all the time)
Use Quick Steps, Rules, and Categories to sort faster
Schedule time to declutter — inbox clutter equals mental clutter
🧭 6. Create an anchor routine
You don’t need a full-blown ritual, but a few bookends can help ground your day and reduce the scramble.
Try this instead:
Morning: Set your top 3 priorities
Midday: Quick reset — What’s working? What’s not?
End of Day: Review, reflect, and prep for tomorrow
📉 7. Reduce meeting noise
Back-to-back meetings are like playing mental hopscotch — and not the fun kind.
Try this instead:
Block out meeting-free time for deep work
Decline meetings that don’t need you (we give you permission 🙂)
Use agendas and track actions to avoid the post-meeting ping-pong
The Bottom Line
Context switching isn’t just annoying — it’s costly. But with a few small changes, you can regain control of your focus, protect your energy, and get real work done without feeling like you’ve run a mental marathon.
Because the goal isn’t to do more.
It’s to do what matters — calmly, clearly, and with intention.
Want to know more - reach out. We can help in more ways than you think.
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