Get Into ‘Deep Work’ to Be More Productive

Deep work is a concept most commonly defined by Cal Newport, who wrote the aptly titled Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. As he puts it, deep work is a state in which you find the ability to concentrate entirely on a demanding task without becoming distracted.

If you can figure it out, you’ll get more done in less time and end up feeling more fulfilled. On his website, Newport observes that it’s rare to see someone feeling energized and happy after sending emails, but there is a feeling of fulfillment that comes from a sustained focus on more meaningful tasks.

How to do in-depth work?

Newport makes a distinction between deep work and “shallow work,” or that which can be accomplished while you are distracted. Deep work is for “cognitively demanding” tasks, while shallow work prepares you for deep work. Creating a project presentation is extensive work. Emailing colleagues to coordinate data is superficial work.

If you’re having trouble determining what does and doesn’t constitute deep work, Newport has some guidelines. Shallow work tends to “not create new value in the world” and is “easy to reproduce.”

So the key is to first sort your work into deep and shallow categories. Determine which of your tasks are cognitively demanding and valuable and which are “logistics style” and repeatable. Next, plan to dedicate an hour or an hour and a half to deep work tasks, then schedule them so that this time is blocked off in your schedule. (As for blocking your planning, familiarize yourself with time boxing and time blocking, which ask you to plan every minute of your day and capture it, moment by moment, in a detailed calendar, all in the name of staying focused.)

Finally, when it comes time to do some deep work, eliminate all your distractions. Signal that you’re busy, make sure you’re unavailable in Slack and on the shared calendar, and put your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” Don’t check your emails, don’t talk to anyone, only look at your devices for work, and commit to only work on your demanding task in the time you allotted.

The most important part is to do it mindfully and approach your deep work sessions knowing that your goal is to accomplish something challenging without distractions. Emails, notifications, chatter and other worries and interruptions are commonplace and distract you from the task at hand. So cutting them off on purpose to do something will be difficult, but it can become a habit, especially once it begins to produce the dual results of accomplishment and fulfillment.

The Deep Work Hack

This all sounds great in theory, but when you find yourself staring at the hour and a half block you’ve scheduled, you may not know what to do or where to start. That’s where you need the Pomodoro Method, a famous productivity technique that asks you to work uninterrupted for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, and repeat the cycle about four times before getting a longer break. You can change these time slots a bit depending on your needs, but 25 hours and five hours are the norm.

When you use this approach, deep work starts to come naturally in these work blocks because you know you’re getting a reprieve at the end. Deep work is described as a period of time where work seems to go smoothly and you barely notice the time passing, so 25 minutes may not be enough for you (depending on the task at hand), but you can figure it out by starting to incorporate these methods. The most important thing is not to get distracted. The second most important thing is to remember that breaks are actually a key part of staying productive, so don’t skip them altogether.

The easiest way to use this proven technique is of course to use an app. My favorite is FocusPomo, which blocks all your distracting apps while you use it and generates cute, inconspicuous cartoon tomatoes to reward you for completing work blocks.