The reason why batching tasks is more productive than multitasking

In a culture that valorises busyness, many of us still cling to the myth of multitasking as a badge of honour. Yet the most productive people I’ve interviewed—from editors to engineers—quietly rely on batching: grouping similar tasks and tackling them in focused blocks. This isn’t doing less; it’s structuring work so your brain can do more of the right thing, faster. By reducing context switching, batching preserves attention, protects quality, and trims the slack that hides in scattershot schedules. Drawing on newsroom experience, cognitive science, and practical experiments, here’s why batching beats multitasking—and how to make it your competitive advantage.

The Cognitive Science Behind Batching

Our brains are powerful, but they are not parallel processors. When we switch tasks, we pay a hidden toll called switching cost. Psychologist Sophie Leroy coined the idea of attention residue, the mental echo of the last task that lingers and blunts performance on the next. Add to that findings from UC Irvine’s Professor Gloria Mark: after an interruption, people take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully resume the original task. Every toggle looks trivial; together they quietly erase hours.

Batching flips this script by building momentum in a single cognitive mode—writing, coding, editing—so each minute makes the next one easier. Neural pathways warm up, working memory clears, and pattern recognition improves. That’s why a 90‑minute batch of editing often outperforms three separate half-hour sprints peppered with pings and peeked inboxes. Deep work thrives when distractions are corralled and similar tasks are clustered. Consistency compounds, and compounding is where productivity lives.

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Why Multitasking Isn’t Always Better

Multitasking promises speed but frequently trades it for sloppiness. The more we split attention, the more we invite errors, rework, and stress. In interviews with UK-based knowledge workers, the pattern repeats: “busy” days feel full yet end with half-finished work and creeping anxiety. Batching counters this by creating deliberate rhythms that reduce decision fatigue and clarify priorities.

• Pros of Batching: Fewer errors; faster ramp-up; clearer metrics; calmer pacing; easier to measure throughput per block.
• Cons of Batching: Requires planning; can feel rigid; demands communication boundaries with colleagues.
• Pros of Multitasking: Quick responsiveness; suits reactive roles; can triage in crises.
• Cons of Multitasking: Higher error rates; fractured focus; slower deep tasks; decision fatigue.

In a London newsroom, I tested both styles across two weeks. On batching days—copy edits in one block, calls in another, email twice daily—my publishable lines per hour rose by roughly 18% and edits required fewer second passes. On multitasking days, Slack, email, and scripts all jostled at once. The output looked busy; the results looked thin. The lesson: responsiveness is not the same as effectiveness.

How to Batch Your Day Like a Pro

Start by identifying your core modes: creation (writing/design), analysis (research/data), collaboration (meetings/calls), and administration (invoices/email). Assign each mode a time window that respects your energy curve—mornings for deep creation, afternoons for collaboration, late-day admin. Protect at least one sacred focus block daily, even if only 45 minutes.

• Time-box similar tasks: edit three articles together; return all calls in one hour; process email twice (11:30 and 16:30).
• Use templates for repeatable work: interview outlines, pitch formats, meeting agendas.
• Queue inputs: collect ideas in a single note; triage later in a planning batch.
• Signal availability: status messages, shared calendars, and meeting-free blocks.
• Build micro-batches: 10-minute “inbox clear” before lunch; 15-minute “admin sweep” before close.

When I batch, I pair a timer with a visible list of “same-type” tasks. Tea break between blocks, then a quick reset ritual: close tabs, jot next actions, silence alerts. Transitions are tiny investments that pay off across the day. Over time, you’ll notice fewer half-starts and more finished pieces—proof that structure is not the enemy of creativity; it’s the scaffolding.

Batching vs Multitasking: A Quick Comparison

Here’s a straightforward snapshot of how the two approaches stack up across common work metrics. Use it to audit your week and decide where batching could reclaim time and quality.

The takeaway: multitasking is a contingency plan, not a default strategy. Most knowledge work benefits from the compounding gains of single-mode focus, especially where accuracy and depth matter. A hybrid approach works well: batch by default, then designate narrow windows for reactive duties. That way, you honour both the need for responsiveness and the imperative of quality.

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Ultimately, batching respects how minds actually work: in rhythms, not ricochets. It creates the conditions for better thinking, steadier output, and fewer late-night “just catching up” sessions. If you’re sceptical, try a one-week experiment: schedule two daily focus blocks, confine admin to short windows, mute non-essential alerts, and review the results. You may find your best work wasn’t waiting for more hours—just better boundaries. Where could you carve out your first batch tomorrow, and what would you protect inside it?

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