Productivity Updated January 2026

How to focus and do deep work

Attention is now the scarcest resource in knowledge work. We reviewed the research and tracked what productivity experts and neuroscientists actually agree on, then built a practical toolkit from the evidence.

Key finding

The research is clear: distraction is devastatingly expensive

It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus after an interruption. The mere presence of your smartphone—even face down, even silenced—reduces available cognitive capacity. Deep work isn't about willpower; it's about designing an environment where focus is the default.

Researchers and practitioners we track

Cal Newport

Georgetown CS, Deep Work author

Gloria Mark

UC Irvine, attention researcher

Andrew Huberman

Stanford neuroscientist

Adam Grant

Wharton organizational psychologist

Nir Eyal

Behavioral design, Indistractable

Chris Bailey

Hyperfocus author

We chose these six because they hold academic positions or have spent years systematically researching focus, cite primary research, and translate findings into actionable protocols.

What the evidence strongly supports

Interventions with robust research backing and expert consensus

Remove your phone from the room

Very strong evidence

The consensus: A landmark 2017 study found that the mere presence of a smartphone—even face-down, even powered off—significantly reduces available working memory and fluid intelligence. The effect is largest for those with highest smartphone dependence.

Practical implementation

  • • Put your phone in another room during deep work (not just in a drawer)
  • • Turn off all notifications except from specific people during work hours
  • • Use website blockers (Cold Turkey, Freedom) for social media and news
  • • Disable badges showing unread counts—each one is a micro-interruption

Key sources:

• Ward et al. (2017): "Brain Drain" study — smartphone presence reduces cognitive capacity

• Gloria Mark's Attention Span: Comprehensive research on digital distraction

• Cal Newport's Deep Work: Environment design principles

Single-task ruthlessly

Very strong evidence

The consensus: Multitasking is a myth. The brain rapidly switches between tasks rather than doing them simultaneously, and each switch costs time and accuracy. The American Psychological Association estimates task-switching can cost up to 40% of productive time.

Practical implementation

  • • Work on one task until it's done or you hit a scheduled break
  • • Close all browser tabs except those needed for the current task
  • • Use a "parking lot" note to capture distracting thoughts without acting on them
  • • Batch similar tasks (email, calls, admin) into dedicated time blocks

Key sources:

• APA Multitasking Research: Task-switching costs 40% of productive time

• Rubinstein et al. (2001): Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching

• Mark et al. (2008): The cost of interrupted work — 23 min 15 sec to refocus

Protect your sleep

Strong evidence

The consensus: Sleep deprivation impairs the prefrontal cortex first— exactly the brain region needed for focus, complex reasoning, and resisting distraction. One night of poor sleep (4-5 hours) reduces cognitive performance by 20-30%. Chronic sleep debt accumulates.

Practical implementation

  • • Prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep opportunity
  • • Consistent wake time is more important than consistent bedtime
  • • No caffeine after 2 PM (or 10 hours before bed)
  • • See our energy guide for complete sleep protocol

Key sources:

• Van Dongen et al. (2003): Cumulative cost of sleep restriction on neurobehavioral performance

• Huberman Lab Caffeine episode: Adenosine clearing and sleep architecture

Exercise regularly

Strong evidence

The consensus: A 2024 meta-review of 113 studies found that regular exercise significantly improves cognitive function, including attention and executive function. Effects are both acute (immediately after exercise) and chronic (from regular training).

Practical implementation

  • • Morning exercise may prime focus for the day (Huberman's recommendation)
  • • Even a 10-minute walk improves cognitive performance for 2+ hours
  • • Resistance training and cardio both show benefits
  • • Avoid intense exercise 3-4 hours before attempting deep work (temporary impairment)

Key sources:

• 2024 Meta-review: 113 studies on exercise and cognitive function

• Chang et al. (2012): Acute exercise effects on cognition

What has moderate evidence

Promising interventions with good but not definitive research support

Time blocking

Moderate evidence

The evidence: Time blocking (scheduling specific tasks for specific time slots) is endorsed by nearly every productivity expert we track. The research on implementation intentions shows that specifying when and where you'll do something dramatically increases follow-through.

Practical implementation

  • • At the start of each week, block 2-4 hours of uninterrupted deep work per day
  • • Protect morning hours for your most cognitively demanding work
  • • Batch admin tasks (email, Slack, meetings) into specific windows
  • • Cal Newport recommends time-blocking every minute of your day

Key sources:

• Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006): Implementation intentions meta-analysis — 2-3x increase in goal achievement

• Cal Newport's Time Block Planner methodology

Work in 90-minute cycles

Moderate evidence

The evidence: Ultradian rhythms—90-minute cycles of alertness—are well-documented in sleep research. Huberman and others suggest these cycles apply to waking focus as well. Peak performers often work in sessions of roughly this length.

Practical implementation

  • • Structure deep work in 90-minute blocks when possible
  • • Take 10-20 minute breaks between cycles (true rest, not phone)
  • • Most people can sustain 2-3 quality cycles per day
  • • Pomodoro (25 min) works too, but may fragment complex work

Key sources:

• Huberman Lab: How to Focus — Ultradian rhythm discussion

• Rossi & Nimmons: Basic rest-activity cycle research

Strategic caffeine use

Moderate evidence

The evidence: Caffeine improves alertness and concentration, but timing matters. Morning caffeine before clearing adenosine can lead to an afternoon crash. Huberman recommends delaying caffeine 90-120 minutes after waking for sustained energy.

Practical implementation

  • • Wait 90-120 minutes after waking before first caffeine
  • • Limit to 200-400mg daily (2-4 cups coffee)
  • • Last caffeine 10+ hours before bed (half-life is 5-7 hours)
  • • Consider L-theanine with caffeine for focused calm without jitters

Key sources:

• Huberman Lab Caffeine episode

• Caffeine + L-theanine studies: Synergistic effects on attention

Design your environment

Moderate evidence

The evidence: Environmental cues significantly affect behavior. The brain forms associations between spaces and activities. A dedicated focus space—even just a specific desk orientation—can prime the brain for deep work.

Practical implementation

  • • Designate specific spaces for specific activities (focus, relaxation)
  • • Keep your focus space visually clean—clutter competes for attention
  • • Use visual cues (specific lamp, noise-canceling headphones) to signal focus mode
  • • Consider working facing a wall to minimize visual distractions

Key sources:

• Nir Eyal's Indistractable: Environment design for focus

• McMains & Kastner (2011): Visual clutter competes for neural representation

Where experts disagree

Areas of legitimate debate in the research community

Optimal focus session length

Pomodoro camp: 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks keep energy high and prevent burnout. Good for tasks you resist.

Deep work camp: 90+ minute sessions allow full immersion. Complex creative and analytical work requires extended focus.

Our take: Match the technique to the task. Use Pomodoro for administrative work or tasks you're avoiding. Use longer blocks for complex, creative, or analytical work. The key is removing interruptions for the duration—not the specific length.

Music or silence during focus

Team silence: Any external audio, including music, diverts cognitive resources. Pure silence is optimal for complex work.

Team music: Familiar music without lyrics can boost mood and sustain focus. The right soundtrack creates flow state.

Our take: The research is mixed because individual variation is high. Try both and track your output. Generally: silence or brown noise for language-heavy tasks (writing, reading), familiar instrumental music for repetitive or creative tasks. Lyrics hurt performance.

Morning versus other times for deep work

Morning advocates: Willpower depletes throughout the day. Protect mornings for your most important work.

Chronotype advocates: Individual circadian rhythms vary. Night owls may peak in the evening.

Our take: Know your chronotype. Most people have a cognitive peak 2-4 hours after waking. But the bigger point is consistency—protect the same hours daily for deep work, whatever time works for your biology and schedule.

Common mistakes to avoid

Patterns that undermine focus, despite good intentions

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Keeping Slack/email open "just in case"

Even without notifications, the possibility of a message creates cognitive load. Batch communication into 2-3 specific times per day.

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Using your phone as a timer during focus blocks

The phone should be in another room. Use a physical timer, watch, or computer-based timer instead.

❌

Scheduling meetings scattered throughout the day

A 30-minute meeting doesn't cost 30 minutes—it fragments your day. Batch meetings into specific days or specific windows (e.g., all meetings after 3 PM).

❌

Not having a shutdown ritual

Work thoughts intrude on rest time without proper closure. Cal Newport recommends a daily shutdown ritual: review tasks, plan tomorrow, say "shutdown complete" to signal the brain that work is done.

The focus toolkit: where to start

If you're overwhelmed by options, here's our suggested priority order based on evidence strength and impact.

1

Remove your phone from the room

Highest-impact change. Non-negotiable during deep work.

2

Block 2-3 hours for deep work daily

Protect this time as aggressively as any meeting.

3

Batch email/Slack to 2-3 windows

Close communication tools outside these windows.

4

Fix your sleep

7-9 hours. No amount of willpower compensates for sleep debt.

5

Use a website blocker

Cold Turkey, Freedom, or browser extensions. Remove the option to self-sabotage.

Primary sources

The researchers, practitioners, and key works we track for this guide

Cal Newport: Deep Work

Foundational text on focus

Gloria Mark: Attention Span

Academic research summary

Huberman Lab: How to Focus

Neuroscience protocols

Nir Eyal: Indistractable

Behavioral design for focus

Key research cited

Change log

  • January 2026: Initial publication