Focus Deep Work Tunnel
Fig 1.0: The Tunnel of Focus

The Switch Cost Calculator: The True Price of "Just One Quick Check"

Executive Summary
  • The Myth: We think interruptions only cost the 30 seconds it takes to check a notification.
  • The Science: It takes 23 minutes to regain full cognitive focus after a distraction.
  • The Tool: Use the calculator below to audit your "Cognitive Leaks."

You sit down to work. Your phone buzzes. It’s a Slack notification. You check it—it takes 15 seconds. You reply and go back to work. No big deal, right?

Wrong.

According to research from the University of California, Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task after an interruption. This phenomenon is called "Context Switching," and it is destroying your career.

COGNITIVE AUDIT INTERFACE
Total Productive Time Lost:
0 HRS

The "Sawtooth" Effect

Imagine your focus is a saw blade. Every time you reach "Deep Work" (the top of the blade), an interruption knocks you back to the bottom. If you are interrupted every 20 minutes, you never actually reach peak cognitive performance.

You are spending your entire day in "Shallow Work"—the logistical style of work that can be easily replicated by AI. To survive in the modern economy, you must protect your attention as if it were your bank account.

The Solution: Batch Processing

Do not check email "when it comes in." Schedule 2 blocks per day (e.g., 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM). During the hours in between, enable Ghost Mode.

Next Step: Need to lock in your focus blocks?
>> Use the Ghost Mode Calculator
Sources:
1. Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress. CHI Proceedings.
2. Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing.