Busy All Day, but the Main Task Is Still Undone: Theo Compernolle’s Approach

You open a document, reply in a chat, check your email, return to the document and find yourself rereading the last paragraph. It is a familiar situation: there is plenty to do, your attention keeps drifting, and very little work seems to get finished.

In BrainChains, Theo Compernolle suggests reconsidering the habit of working amid a constant stream of messages. His approach centres on focused work, fewer unnecessary switches and time for breaks.

Editorial note. This is a brief overview of selected ideas from the book, with an editorial example of how to try them. It is not medical advice. These approaches do not replace diagnosis or treatment and do not guarantee greater productivity.

Being constantly available does not mean the work is moving forward

The description of BrainChains on the author’s website lists constant connectivity, multitasking, stress and lack of sleep among its main themes. The practical section explores how to organise work with these limitations in mind.

Start by looking at an ordinary working day. Which messages genuinely need an immediate response? Which do you open simply because they have arrived? A reply to a colleague may matter right now, while a discussion of weekend plans in a group chat can wait.

In an interview with Bloovi, Compernolle suggests working in separate blocks: choosing a task and a time for it in advance, then handling messages during other designated periods. This is the author’s approach to organising the day, which you can adapt to your work.

Reduce switches between demanding tasks

Imagine preparing a report and checking your messages after every paragraph. Each time, you have to find your place, remember your train of thought and decide what to write next. These transitions between activities are worth noticing first.

In a study by Rubinstein, Meyer and Evans, published in 2001, participants switched between tasks involving geometric shapes or arithmetic operations. Switching required additional time, and those costs increased when the rules were more complex.

This is a laboratory finding, not a way to calculate how much time a particular person loses during a working day. It does not provide a universal percentage of lost time for every conversation or meeting.

Our simple editorial suggestion is to start with one task that suffers from frequent distractions. For example, finish a section of a report, work through one document or draft an email. You do not have to reorganise the whole day at once.

Do not turn every break into a phone check

One principle in Compernolle’s materials is to disconnect from incoming information for breaks too. If you move straight from a work screen to email or a social feed, you have changed what is on the screen. You could also try a different kind of pause, without new messages.

Research supports a more cautious view of short breaks than productivity advice often suggests. A 2022 meta-analysis, combining 22 independent samples with 2,335 participants, found small positive effects on vigour and reduced fatigue. The overall effect on performance was not statistically significant.

A break should therefore not be presented as a promise to get more done in less time. One simple option is to step away from your workspace briefly or sit quietly without scrolling. The length and availability of a break depend on your working conditions.

Try it with one small task

Suppose you need to draft an email. The steps below are our example of applying the idea of working in blocks, rather than a verbatim instruction from the book.

1. Define a small result: draft the email without doing the final proofread.
2. Choose an available time slot. For example, 20 minutes is a trial option, not an established rule.
3. Close unnecessary tabs and mute non-essential notifications. Keep emergency alerts and work channels you are required to monitor. If needed, agree in advance on how people can reach you about something urgent.
4. If another task comes to mind, make a brief note and return to the email. If something urgent comes up, pause and note where you stopped.
5. After the chosen period, take a break and review the experience: what you finished, what distracted you and whether the format suits you.

If your job requires continuous customer responses or being on duty, a long period without messages may not be possible. You could look for a suitable short window or discuss cover arrangements with colleagues. The constraints of a job cannot be resolved by changing a phone setting alone.

What to take from the book first

One question is enough to begin: which small task could I do with fewer unnecessary switches? Choose it and try setting aside a separate time for it.

Afterwards, you can decide what to keep: a designated email slot, fewer open tabs or a break without your phone. You do not have to introduce everything at once or turn your working day into a rigid schedule.

Photo: karlyukav / Freepik. Illustrative image.