How many apps do you use in a day, 5, 10, 20? How often are you switching between those apps? The answer to those questions might explain why you feel less productive and more mentally fatigued.
What is App Switching?
It's just what it sounds like, toggling between apps. In the workplace, this could be switching between email, productivity apps, collaboration apps, spreadsheets, etc.
How does it affect productivity?
Harvard Business Review studied 20 teams across several Fortune 500 companies and found that workers were toggling between apps and websites 1200 times a day! The same study found for each switch, it took workers an average of just over 2 seconds to reorient themselves to the new application or website. At the end of the week, that equated to just under four hours spent simply processing the switch. Add that up over the course of a year and it comes out to five working weeks!
So now we know that just the act of toggling between websites and apps has a time cost, but how long does it take to get into a productive workflow once you've switched? A report by Qatalog and the Cornell University Idea Lab found on average it takes nine and a half minutes after switching to get back into the zone.
What is the mental cost?
Switching between apps isn't just a time suck, it takes a toll mentally. Studies done by psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that bouncing between tasks (also known as context switching) is cognitively demanding. The Harvard Business Review study reports that switching between just two apps is equivalent to context switching. So what happens when you are toggling between apps 1200 times a day? Cortisol (stress hormone) levels rise and cognitive load increases. Constantly switching between apps and adjusting to new contexts, interfaces, etc causes a spike in cognitive load making it harder to process information. Your brain just plain gets tired of trying to process everything. This affects focus, working memory, and motivation and leads to overall mental fatigue.
What's the solution?
There is no one size fits all solution. You're likely going to need multiple apps and websites to do your job, particularly in the post-covid era of remote and hybrid work environments. Research studies and anecdotal evidence suggest there are things you (and your boss) can do to help:
1. Give employees more say when adopting new technology.
A study by Microsoft found that 84% of business decision-makers say digital transformation is a top priority, but 61% of employees say they don't really have a say in that process.
2. Time blocking.
Set aside blocks of time for specific tasks. Try setting aside thirty minutes twice a day to read and respond to emails instead of checking every time you get a notification. Block out uninterrupted time for deep work and don't forget to block out time for breaks. Give the Pomodoro technique a try.
3. Find an app solution that encompasses multiple uses.
We know there is no one app to rule them all, but there are some that come close. Use one app that can do chat, file sharing, video calls, etc (hello, SquadPod) to replace single-function apps.
The bottom line is that we can't get rid of ALL the apps we use in a day, but we can streamline them and be more intentional about the apps we choose and how they are used.
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