Really interesting. Is there not perhaps a difference between switching and multi-tasking per se? When we tell students not to multi-task we are usually referring to things like watching music videos at the same time as 'studying'.
I'm not convinced that task switching is all that bad if you have expertise, though it is demanding of attention and other executive functions. After all, pro sports players are task switching all the time during a game. So probably fine for a writer (for example) as long as they feel focused and motivated. I can definitely see why there could be creativity benefits.
That's a super-interesting point, Jonathan—that " pro sports players are task switching all the time during a game." Knowing when to switch, and making the switch rapidly and effectively, is part of what makes pro athletes so good at what they do.
I think this may vary between people. I am a very mercurial type--I love lots of mental stimulus and my superpower, according to my colleagues, is synthesizing myriad inputs and finding and articulating the important stuff. When I read Cal Newport, and I finished re-reading Deep Work this morning! I sense that he has a very different kind of mind, with different superpowers. That said, I want to communicate ideas of lasting value, which is why I am re-reading Deep Work and preparing to change my habits.
Thanks so much for your comment, Vicki. I admire Newport's work, too, and I think he's brought forward some really important points about the drawbacks of how many of us manage our attention.
I'm a firm believer in maintaining multiple (or at least two) creative projects at the same time and moving between them. But what makes me nervous here is the definition of "creativity" being used. Too often, creativity gets narrowly defined as primarily divergent thinking or, in this case, divergent (coming up with fresh options) and some convergent (selecting the best option). But there's an entire range of creative tasks and processes that don't fall into those classifications. Too often, it feels like when people talk about creativity, it is mostly ideation and not the execution or all the other areas you raise, Annie, regarding the extended mind. I have a hard time imagining writing a novel, where you have to be immersed in your fictional world, and switching out of that every five minutes but I can see the benefit if you're just brainstorming.
That's a good point, Steve, and so often the tasks used in laboratory research don't really resemble the kind of creative work we do in the real world. I'm a big believer in immersion, for sure. But for some tasks—like, say writing a headline, or finding just the right metaphor (to take examples from my own work life)—switching back and forth might really be helpful.
This was validating to read! I came up with a similar method for writing my dissertation. That was before smart phones, so I programmed a little Flash app with two sliders to adjust time-on-task for my two activities and ring a pleasant bell to switch. I've been doing that for about 20 years, so the method probably qualifies as "a weird old trick" by now.
I find that twitchy switching (every 5-7 minutes) is great when I get into a new task. That's because there's a lot of problem-posing and problem-solving at the beginning! However, longer intervals of 15-20 minutes work better once the direction of the new task is clearer, and I need to maintain the flow state. (See also: exploring vs. exploiting.)
I also made collections of activities that pair up well. For example, "gross motor" spatial tasks such as tidying up, climbing, and gardening work great with writing. It's a sweet feeling when words start flowing again in my mind, ready to become another paragraph on the screen, as I move around and touch stuff.
I've been switching between two tasks for years--especially useful for research/writing projects. Many benefits. What works for me is 20+10-- twenty minutes with ten more if things are going well. Agree that alternating brain work and physical chores is best. Doing something different every five minutes also speeds up a boring period: works until it doesn't, an hour at most.
I love these very customized task-switching schedules! Honed through trial and error to figure out what works best for oneself, as well as for specific kinds of tasks.
Really interesting. Is there not perhaps a difference between switching and multi-tasking per se? When we tell students not to multi-task we are usually referring to things like watching music videos at the same time as 'studying'.
I'm not convinced that task switching is all that bad if you have expertise, though it is demanding of attention and other executive functions. After all, pro sports players are task switching all the time during a game. So probably fine for a writer (for example) as long as they feel focused and motivated. I can definitely see why there could be creativity benefits.
That's a super-interesting point, Jonathan—that " pro sports players are task switching all the time during a game." Knowing when to switch, and making the switch rapidly and effectively, is part of what makes pro athletes so good at what they do.
I think this may vary between people. I am a very mercurial type--I love lots of mental stimulus and my superpower, according to my colleagues, is synthesizing myriad inputs and finding and articulating the important stuff. When I read Cal Newport, and I finished re-reading Deep Work this morning! I sense that he has a very different kind of mind, with different superpowers. That said, I want to communicate ideas of lasting value, which is why I am re-reading Deep Work and preparing to change my habits.
Thanks so much for your comment, Vicki. I admire Newport's work, too, and I think he's brought forward some really important points about the drawbacks of how many of us manage our attention.
I'm a firm believer in maintaining multiple (or at least two) creative projects at the same time and moving between them. But what makes me nervous here is the definition of "creativity" being used. Too often, creativity gets narrowly defined as primarily divergent thinking or, in this case, divergent (coming up with fresh options) and some convergent (selecting the best option). But there's an entire range of creative tasks and processes that don't fall into those classifications. Too often, it feels like when people talk about creativity, it is mostly ideation and not the execution or all the other areas you raise, Annie, regarding the extended mind. I have a hard time imagining writing a novel, where you have to be immersed in your fictional world, and switching out of that every five minutes but I can see the benefit if you're just brainstorming.
That's a good point, Steve, and so often the tasks used in laboratory research don't really resemble the kind of creative work we do in the real world. I'm a big believer in immersion, for sure. But for some tasks—like, say writing a headline, or finding just the right metaphor (to take examples from my own work life)—switching back and forth might really be helpful.
Wow! I wasn't expecting this - very interesting advice.
I found this research surprising too, Eloise!
This was validating to read! I came up with a similar method for writing my dissertation. That was before smart phones, so I programmed a little Flash app with two sliders to adjust time-on-task for my two activities and ring a pleasant bell to switch. I've been doing that for about 20 years, so the method probably qualifies as "a weird old trick" by now.
I find that twitchy switching (every 5-7 minutes) is great when I get into a new task. That's because there's a lot of problem-posing and problem-solving at the beginning! However, longer intervals of 15-20 minutes work better once the direction of the new task is clearer, and I need to maintain the flow state. (See also: exploring vs. exploiting.)
I also made collections of activities that pair up well. For example, "gross motor" spatial tasks such as tidying up, climbing, and gardening work great with writing. It's a sweet feeling when words start flowing again in my mind, ready to become another paragraph on the screen, as I move around and touch stuff.
I've been switching between two tasks for years--especially useful for research/writing projects. Many benefits. What works for me is 20+10-- twenty minutes with ten more if things are going well. Agree that alternating brain work and physical chores is best. Doing something different every five minutes also speeds up a boring period: works until it doesn't, an hour at most.
I love these very customized task-switching schedules! Honed through trial and error to figure out what works best for oneself, as well as for specific kinds of tasks.
How great that for those of us whose creativity involves sitting at a desk, this ties in to our need to get up and walk around? Multitasking! LOL