How time blocking made me a better writer
I’ve been working as a writer for the last few years. I started out doing long-form copy for a startup, then worked as a marketing copywriter here at Just Eat Takeaway.com, before moving to a UX writing position at the same company.
All these jobs have one thing in common: a variety of tasks, usually with tight deadlines and plenty of stakeholders that all have feedback.
It began to affect my mental health. I constantly felt like I had too much on my plate. While that wasn’t true, it certainly felt true at that moment.
That’s when I got the opportunity to host a workshop about context switching. I said yes, without even knowing what context switching was. As soon as I started doing research on the topic and ways to manage context switching, I knew I had found the solution to my struggles.
I learned about time management, scheduling tasks in my calendar, and protecting my time. All that gave me the confidence to say no whenever my to-do list got too long and I could finally get back to being productive with a healthy mindset.
What even is context switching?
Think about trying to maintain a conversation while watching TV. How focused are you on the plot on TV? Do you really know what your friend is talking about right now? That’s context switching.
It means asking your brain to focus on multiple, unrelated tasks at the same time.
And what’s annoying in your free time, can be damaging at work. Trying to balance messages, emails, calls, and briefs can lead to fatigue and even burnout. Properly managing your time can help you protect your mental well-being.
But why is it so bad for writers?
A writer’s work within Product is unique. Without a library of components, few established precedents, and no automation, we create copy that guides, engages, and reacts — and is also consistent with everything else we’ve ever said.
Most days we start with a blank page and end with original work. Since a lot of our work happens alone, inside our heads, it’s important for us to create systems that enable us to do deep focus work.
Without being able to focus on the task at hand, we immediately run the risk of switching between 2 or more tasks at a time. According to psychologist Gerald Weinberg’s Quality Software Management Vol. 1, you lose 20% productivity for each additional task after the first.
And it’s not just that. Once we’re distracted, research shows it takes an average of 23 minutes to regain focus.
If you still believe that you’re actually good at multitasking, keep in mind that the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London found that multitasking with e-media reduced a person’s IQ by 10 points. That’s more than twice the impact of smoking marijuana.
7 (plus or minus 2) is the number of items your brain can hold in short-term memory at the same time. In psychology, it’s referred to as The Magical Number.
How can I minimise context switching?
Focusing on one task at a time is the key to avoiding context switching. To do that, I started prioritising my tasks and blocking time in my calendar to make sure that I have the time I need to do the work I get paid for.
There is lots of information out there on prioritising your tasks, but here are 4 principles that worked for me:
- Organise and prioritise: Write a to-do list of everything you have to work on and then prioritise what needs to be done first.
- Make realistic schedules: Decide how much time you need for certain tasks and plan your day accordingly.
- Do one thing at a time: Assigning a time slot to each task on your to-do list can help you stay focussed.
- Keep yourself happy and stress-free: Learn to say no. Communicate when your week is full and manage deadlines whenever possible.
How do I prioritise my tasks?
Similar to the principles of time management, there are various models that will help you prioritise your tasks. I tried some of the models, but most of them didn’t resonate with me.
What does work for me is dividing the items on my to-do list into quick ticks, tasks, and projects.
Quick ticks are small, usually admin related, things that take a maximum of 15 minutes.
Tasks are slightly more complex and take about 30 minutes to complete. For me, that usually includes working on copy for 2–3 screens of a user flow, proofing another writer’s copy, or preparing for meetings.
Projects are longer than that and can include anything from writing copy for an entire new user flow to conducting a full copy audit of a website.
Once my to-do list is divided into those categories, I check the deadlines of everything on my list, work out when I’m most productive, and start planning my week.
How does all of that fit into my week?
Prioritising tasks and planning your entire week ahead of time can seem daunting at first, but with some practice, it’ll quickly become part of your routine.
I use a technique called time blocking to make this process easier for me.
Time blocking means that each task on your to-do list gets assigned to a set block of time during your week. Tasks don’t have to be finished within that time frame, but you’ll commit to focusing on nothing else during that block of time.
This is my process for time blocking:
- High-level priorities: Write a to-do list and prioritise your tasks for the week.
- Bookend your days: Protect your working hours by blocking time at the beginning and at the end of your workday.
- Deep and shallow tasks: Think about when you’re most productive throughout the day. Set that time aside for deep work like writing copy or doing research. Make sure those blocks are at least an hour long and don’t let anyone interrupt this time.
Then think about when you’re least productive throughout the day and use this time for shallow tasks. I use 30-minute time blocks and spend this time mostly on admin stuff. - Reactive tasks: Schedule time to deal with last-minute requests or with tasks that take longer than you estimated.
- Daily to-do lists: Take a look at the priorities on your to-do list and assign specific tasks to each block of deep and shallow task time.
Those are the basics for time blocking. Over time, I’ve discovered a few smaller tips and tricks to make the process even smoother.
- Overestimate how long things will take. That way you don’t have to panic if things take longer than expected.
- Schedule breaks (not just lunch). Our brains need time between tasks so give it some rest.
- Schedule time for learning. It’s easy to get stuck working on brief after brief. Don’t forget to take time to work on yourself.
What if I keep getting distracted?
Time blocking is great, but it doesn’t help with the temptation of opening a new tab in my browser and checking the news or falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Time blocking doesn’t help when my phone is right next to me and that latest Twitter notification just looks too tempting.
Luckily there are plenty of tools and tricks to prevent you from getting sidetracked.
First of all, mute your notifications. Check your phone during your breaks if you need to, and use your scheduled time for shallow tasks to keep up to date with emails or Slack messages.
With that distraction gone, think about installing a browser extension that will help you stay focussed.
Timers, like Marinara, will tell you how long you’ve been focusing and remind you to take a break.
More elaborate tools, like Tide, offer background noises. This often helps me focus while I’m in the office. Tide also has an Immersive Mode, that will let you block websites to help you stay focussed on your work.
Similar apps are also available for phones. Check out the App Store or Google Play Store to find tools that will let you block websites, apps or lock your entire phone screen.
Will time blocking really help me?
Protecting your time is hard. It’s easy to get distracted. We’ve all been there. But considering how much multitasking can affect your brain, it’s important to figure out a process that can protect your time and your well-being.
Time blocking did that for me. I enjoy taking 30 minutes out of my Friday every week to reflect on what I’ve achieved and to look ahead and see what’s next. Knowing exactly what my plan is for the coming week and that I have enough time to work on everything on my to-do list has calmed down my anxiety and made me more efficient, reflective, and patient as a writer.
If you’ve made it this far, hopefully, this blog post has given you some ideas on how to protect your time better.
Happy planning!
Shoutout to Diana Bailey for helping me understand what context switching is and letting me use some of her examples in this blog post, and to Izzy Clark for teaching me about quick ticks, tasks, and projects.
