Hasty Briefsbeta

Interruptions cost 23 minutes 15 seconds, right?

9 hours ago
  • #interruptions
  • #productivity
  • #task-switching
  • The commonly cited figure of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover from interruptions lacks a clear primary source in academic papers.
  • A study titled 'The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress' found that interruptions led to faster task completion but higher stress, without mentioning the 23-minute recovery time.
  • Other studies and papers on task switching and interruptions do not provide the 23-minute figure, with some suggesting different recovery times or not quantifying it at all.
  • The 23 minutes and 15 seconds figure appears in interviews and articles quoting Gloria Mark, the author of the original study, but not in her published papers.
  • A review of 23 blog posts revealed that many incorrectly cite academic papers for the 23-minute figure, while others reference interviews or articles quoting Gloria Mark.