What Attention Research Says About Focus at Work

The numbers behind shorter attention

In her book Attention Span (2023), Mark reports that in her early observations, around 2004, people spent an average of about two and a half minutes on one screen before switching. In later studies the average fell to roughly 75 seconds, and in more recent measurements to about 47 seconds.

These figures describe screen switching at work, not a fixed limit of the human brain. They show how the modern workplace — notifications, chat, email and many open tabs — pulls attention apart.

Why switching is expensive

Every switch has a cost. Researcher Sophie Leroy called it attention residue: part of your mind stays on the previous task, so performance on the next one drops. Switching often means you rarely work at full capacity on anything.

Self-interruptions matter as much as external ones. Mark's research found that people interrupt themselves roughly as often as they are interrupted by others, which is why simply silencing notifications rarely solves the problem on its own.

How timed sessions push back

A Pomodoro is a small commitment: one task, one timer, no switching until it ends. Because the session is short and has a clear end, it is easier to postpone the urge to check something — you know a break is coming.

Writing down the task before you start, as Tabula asks you to do, also reduces self-interruptions: when a stray thought arrives, you can note it and return to the label in front of you.

Sources

1. Gloria Mark, Attention Span (Hanover Square Press, 2023)
2. Leroy, S. (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Tabula is an independent timer app. Study findings are summarised for general information and are not medical or professional advice.