You know when you’re multi-tasking like a pro, across all the things, but never really feeling like you’re able to focus well enough on any of it to make some real progress? And then as a result, at the end of the day you just feel drained and mostly unaccomplished?

The culprit for that for that may be something called attention residue.

Attention residue is a concept introduced by researcher Sophie Leroy. It refers to what happens when we switch from one task to another, but part of our attention remains attached to the previous task. While we may physically move on, mentally we’re still carrying some of that unfinished focus with us. And we’re constantly at risk of that happening because of today’s workplace.

We jump from emails to meetings, meetings to reports, reports to phone calls, phone calls to messages, and somehow expect ourselves to remain focused, creative, strategic, and emotionally present throughout the day. The problem is that our brains don’t switch tasks as seamlessly as we’d like to believe (no matter WHAT the job description or our CV says).

Multitasking can feel productive, but often isn’t.

Many workplaces still reward responsiveness. We answer messages immediately, keep notifications on, and pride ourselves on being available. And yeah sure, from the outside, it can look productive. But research suggests that every interruption comes with a cost – not just energy, but also time. When we switch tasks, it takes time and energy to fully re-engage with the original task. That means we spend more mental effort transitioning than we realise. And take up more time to do it as well.

The results are reduced productivity and increased fatigue.

This is why you can spend an entire day ‘doing things’ and still feel like you’ve achieved very little. Your attention has been fragmented across multiple competing priorities, leaving little opportunity for deep focus.

For leaders, attention residue affects more than task completion.
It impacts:
– Decision-making
– Strategic thinking
– Creativity
– Listening skills
– Emotional intelligence
– Presence in conversations

When part of your attention is still sitting in the previous meeting or unfinished project, it’s harder to be fully present with the people and challenges in front of you. This is one of the reasons I often talk about attention and energy management (the latter of which I also teach in the Embodied Leaders Academy), not just time management.

Managing time – yes, important. Managing attention – absolutely essential.

You don’t need a perfect schedule or an interruption-free life. Instead, try giving one important task your full attention for 45 minutes (could be 30, could be 60. Whatever it is – set a timer).

Before switching, create a meaningful stopping point:
What did you complete?
What needs to happen next?
What reminder can you leave for your future self?

Think of it as leaving breadcrumbs for future you. When you return to the task later, you’ll spend less energy trying to remember where you left off and more energy actually progressing the work.

Then notice how much more you actually end up getting done, with what might feel like less mental drain (not necessarily less effort overall, but often the effects feel like they have less impact).

This week’s Get Jasched podcast episode dives into this very topic. Listen to episode 208: Why Multitasking is Draining Your Energy and Focus here.