and every time we switch attention think of it as erasing the information you needed for that

last task and having to write new information for the current task you're doing.

And that's a switch cost. That takes time for our minds to come up with this new information. Sometimes just like with a

real whiteboard, we can't erase it completely and there's a residue.

And so if I'm reading some gripping news story and then I try to go back to work, that news story. And then I try to go back to work, that new story.

Parts of it might stay with me and interfere with my task at hand.

So that's another kind of cost.

And of course, you're right, it causes stress. We know in

laboratory research it increases blood pressure. There's a physiological marker

that's associated with stress that rises.

In my work where we've used heart rate monitors,

we see a very strong correlation with stress and attention shifting and people report

subjectively that they have higher perceived stress when their

attention shifts.

I'm Sreni Rao and this is the unmistakable creative

podcast where you get a window into the stories and insights of the most

innovative and creative minds who started movements built thriving businesses

written best-selling books and created insanely interesting art. For more

check out our 500 episode archive at unmistakable creative.

com.

Gloria, welcome to the unmistakable creative. Thanks so much for taking the time to join us.

Thank you for having me. It is my pleasure to have you here. So I found out about you because you have a new book out called

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