In this week’s newsletter:

• The science behind interruptions and context-switching
• A quick writing experiment to help you reset
• Event updates

Hi, it’s Áine.

All day long we move between projects, messages, meetings, errands, responding to people in our life who need things, and then back to our projects, in what feels like a never-ending loop.

Even though I’m technically in charge of my own time these days, one fun thing I’ve carried with me from chaotic employment experiences is an affinity for spending way too much time on interruptions and context-switching. It’s exhausting. (Guess how many days ago I started writing this newsletter.)

Constantly leaving and returning to our work can affect our sense of how well we’re actually using our time, how much control we have over our own attention, and even self-trust on whether we follow through on the things that matter to us.

The science behind managing interruptions and switching tasks

Every time you switch between tasks, your brain has to disengage from one set of information and goals and activate another.

That takes some cognitive work on its own, but the transition gets harder when part of your attention is still attached to whatever you just left.

This is called attention residue. It’s especially likely when the previous task is unfinished or when there’s still something that needs to be remembered or resolved.

That means you can technically be working on the next thing while part of your attention is still occupied by the last one (even when you don’t notice it happening).

If you keep switching, you repeat that process again and again, piling more and more cognitive load into your day.

You also have to rebuild the context each time you return to your work.

The ideas you were working on and exactly what you meant to do next may have been clear when you stopped, but a little while and several other contexts later, some of that info is gone from working memory and you have to reconstruct it before you can really get moving again.

That’s part of why returning to something can feel hard and take extra time.

Repeated re-entry friction can erode:

Agency - Feeling like your calendar, inbox, clients, colleagues, family, and notifications are steering your day more than you are.

Self-trust - Each return ‘failure’ (stalled projects, forgotten ideas, abandoned tasks) can become minor evidence that you might not do what you told yourself you would.

Satisfaction - Days without sustained stretches of work that feel chosen, coherent, and complete, can feel empty and draining.

Future possibility - Ideas, goals, and projects you care about, stay in the ‘someday’ category because continuity keeps breaking.

We might not always have control over how often we get pulled away, but we can learn how to get better at the return. A few minutes of writing can help you rebuild the context, clear attention residue from interruptions, and map a starting point so you can reset faster.

Here’s a quick writing experiment to try next time you need a reset

Step 1, Name the task or project you’re returning to

Write - “Here’s what I’m returning to now: ”

Be specific. Naming the task gives your attention a clear target and helps after you’ve been activating different goals and contexts.

Step 2, Name and contain attention residue

Write - “Part of my attention is still on…”

Do a quick download of anything still on your mind from previous tasks or conversations.

Then write this statement (or create one that works for you) -

“I don’t need to solve or deal with these right now. I’ll return to the list (at the end of the day, tomorrow, after the current project is done, etc)."

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Writing this gives it a visible container, so you don’t have to keep holding it in working memory while trying to re-focus on something else. When unfinished items remain mentally active, it leaves fewer resources for the tasks you’re trying to do now.

Step 3, Reconstruct your context

Write: “Before I got pulled away, the point I’d reached in the work was…”

Then add: “The idea, decision, or question I was thinking about was…”​
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You don’t need a full recap, just capture the one or two pieces you need to reconnect with the work.

This helps reactivate the original task goal and retrieve the relevant context that may have faded during the interruption.

Step 4, Restart with a small next action

Write: “The next visible small action I can take on this is…”

Make it as specific as possible. A clear first action gives your brain an immediate instruction it can follow and removes some of the mental expense of starting.

Then get started on that next action. If you still struggle to get back into it, setting even a short timer can help you commit to enough uninterrupted time to reactivate the task.

Upcoming events that are open to everyone

Fix Your Day workshop: Brain Science X Writing to Get More Done

Sept 16, 2 - 4 pm, Downtown Works - Carlsbad, CA. No registration needed.

Mini JournalingFix Workshop

Sept 22, 9 am, Business Bloc, Mission Valley, CA. Details and registration.

ONLINE

Deep Rest: Science-based journaling and functional breathwork for better sleep

Sept 22, 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET. Details and registration.​
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Tools for Navigating Change and Staying Strong in the In-Between Zones

Oct 7, 10 am PT / 1 pm ET. Hosted by Tech Ladies. Details and registration.

A quick newsletter note

We're growing! Thank you to everyone who's shared and forwarded the newsletter.

Starting this week the regular send-out will move to Mondays, and beginning next week watch for a slightly updated look. It will continue to be delivered from aine@journalingfix.com, where you can also respond with feedback and requests for future topics.

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Cheers to a focused week ahead,

– Aine

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