🎧 Between Tasks Podcast

Conversations with researchers, practitioners, and thinkers about the science and art of better transitions.

Latest Episodes

Episode 48
42 min

The Hidden Costs of Instant Messaging

January 22, 2026

Dr. Cal Newport joins us to discuss how always-on communication tools fragment attention and create invisible transition costs. We explore strategies for async-first work without losing responsiveness.

Episode 47
38 min

Attention Residue in Practice

January 15, 2026

A deep dive into Sophie Leroy's groundbreaking research on attention residue. What it is, why it matters, and practical interventions that actually work in real workplace contexts.

Episode 46
45 min

Building a Transition-Aware Organization

January 8, 2026

Rachel Andersen, Managing Partner at a strategy consultancy, shares how her firm redesigned their entire workflow around transition quality — and the remarkable results that followed.

Episode 45
36 min

The Neuroscience of Context Switching

January 1, 2026

Neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha explains what happens in the brain during task transitions, why they're cognitively expensive, and how mindfulness practices can improve switching quality.

Episode 44
40 min

Remote Work Transitions

December 25, 2025

When physical location can't mark transitions, what can? We explore strategies distributed teams use to create boundaries, manage async work, and maintain focus across time zones.

Episode 43
52 min

Rituals vs. Routines: What's the Difference?

December 18, 2025

Why do some practices stick while others fade? We unpack the psychological difference between rituals and routines, and how to design transition practices that last.