Pramukh Bhushan Blog 14: Deep Work vs. Shallow Work
This week I started reading a self-help book called Deep Work by Cal Newport, and it discussed the importance of uninterrupted, focused work in our digital age. Newport defines deep work as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit” (Newport 5). In the first few chapters, the author outlines how many successful people such as Mark Twain and Bill Gates have utilized this strategy to enhance their output.
When Mark Twain wrote his successful novel Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he did it in a shed so isolated that his family blew “a horn to attract his attention” (Newport 6). Bill Gates also has performed “think weeks twice a year,” where he separated himself from others to learn new skills (Newport 7).
Newport contrasts the strategy of deep work with another technique called “shallow work”: completing non-demanding replicable tasks while distracted (Newport 9). Examples of shallow work include having social media or messenger apps open while working, checking emails, attending meetings, and constantly switching tasks.
While most employees use shallow work and are encouraged to work collaboratively in offices, Newport explains that it can negatively increase “attention residue” (Newport 48). Essentially, attention residue is the theory that one has worse performance when switching between tasks as their focus does not transfer completely.
After reading about these principles and strategies, I decided to log my deep and shallow work. When I looked at my phone or social media right before working, I found myself distracted by the random conversations with friends earlier that day. The dopamine hit from social media also reduced my mental clarity.
However, when it came to completing assignments that required planning, I found that texting my friends about the homework helped me comprehend and remember the requirements of the tasks. Once I had an idea of how I wanted to approach the assignment, putting my phone in a separate room and grinding for a couple of hours was the most beneficial method.
What techniques do you use when studying or completing homework?
source:
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692
I think we all know and understand how bad of a toll mindless scrolling on our phones and this "shallow work" does for our minds, but I believe that busy work that some classes assign is in a way in this same category. I personally think that anything you can do while also simultaneously listening to music or talking to someone else is probably not the best for creativity and focus. That being said, I do see an advantage of taking breaks in between "deep work," and when I feel I need to take a break, I have started to gravitate more towards reading rather than scrolling through social media. I think it will be fun to see how short our attention spans become in the following decades when we get too used to short bursts of prioritizing work.
ReplyDeleteHi Pramukh,
ReplyDeleteI find that the hardest part of doing any assignment is getting started. Once I start, I gain momentum and am able to continue with a lower risk of getting distracted. However, this method still does not stop stray thoughts from burrowing through my concentration and persuading me to stop and think about something else. That five minute daydream becomes an hour-long waste of time walking aimlessly trying to get back to work. I think ultimately, procrastination is what enables these distractions. If I pretend an assignment is due tomorrow then I unconsciously built a wall in my head blocking distraction from entering. As I gain momentum, I gain confidence in my ability to finish the assignment and become passionate about doing my best on it.
Hi Pramukh! First of all I just wanted to say that I am quite impressed you read books that are not assigned to you in apeng (as I quite literally have no time and no motivation to do so). Reading this blog post reminds me of the Yerkes Dodson Law. Where in order to do a low energy, non-demanding task, one needs high levels of arousal; however, when doing a harder more complicated task, if mental arousal levels are too high, the quality of the work may actually decrease. This is a bit similar to deep and shallow work because too many distractions when doing an important task will lead to low productivity but a complete lack of social connection will also have detrimental effects as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteHey Pramukh, I think a lot of us suffer from doing shallow work and not realizing how detrimental it is for us. Just yesterday, I decided to put my phone inside while I worked outside and I was able to do five whole hours of concentrated calculus and finished an entire unit when usually with my phone, the same amount of work would have taken me at least twice as long at best. However, it makes me wonder if scrolling through your phone is synonymous with study sessions with other people. I know a lot of times studying with friends is much more distracting then it is helpful, but like you mentioned, studying with friends can sometimes help you remember things in different ways that stick better.
ReplyDeleteHey Pramukh, I think a lot of us feel like procrastination is what we want to lean towards because in our brains, if a project, test, or assignment isn't due tomorrow, we build a mental barrier in our heads, telling us that we don't need to start on this right now because I have time later to work on it. Getting started studying or working is often always the hardest part of the journey to finishing a task. Frankly, like you said, at the end of the day although studying or doing homework with friends can take longer because it is distracting, like you said, it helps information stick into your head a lot easier through various jokes or sentences you say to each other. Being able to hear all the information through the conversation we have with our friends helps many retain more and I think that's really important to notice.
ReplyDeleteHi Pramukh! In this day and age, all of us definitely need a dopamine detox. Especially since COVID hit, our screen times have skyrocketed and many of us now have shortened attention spans. In getting work done efficiently under less time, I find it helpful to complete shallow work first, or assignments that take a fixed amount of time to do, then move on to more open ended assignments, like essays.
ReplyDeleteHey Pramukh! Wow, your blog is so interesting and incredibly introspective on types of work styles. Shallow work is definitely my preference of work, because I feel having resources near me is beneficial. With my short attention span and frequent breaks to regroup, I do not feel I would be effective doing deep work. But I do see the importance of this in professional settings. Companies are moving towards open layouts with open communication. Personally, I feel distanced from this, because in my opinion, in professional settings, I need a closed and quiet space (or at least my own area like cubicles) to be productive. The difference between deep and shallow work are so interesting, but I think it really depends on the situation.
ReplyDeleteHi Pramukh, Deep Work sounds like a very interesting book. I think it’s great to have time away from social media as it can be distracting. Focusing on bringing your full attention when you want to get your work done sounds very effective, since it would channel all of your energy toward only one goal at a time. Mark Twain is a very well-known author so it was interesting to read about how he wrote Tom Sawyer in a shed, isolating himself from everyone so that he could focus. The concept of shallow work is also interesting. I definitely think that it is good to take some time and learn what works best first, and then implement that strategy.
ReplyDeleteHi Pramukh, it is interesting to see how focus correlates with productivity. Many people are under the impression that the more time you put into something automatically equates to more work or quality; however, it is clear that focus is the determining factor. One hour of deep work is much more effective than 3 hours of shallow work. It would be insightful to see this connected to the workplace and see if companies like Google and Apple, with top-tier perks, see a significant productivity increase in their employees.
ReplyDelete