Recently I started reading the book David Rock's "Your Brain at Work" and the first chapter already made me reconsider how I start my workday.

We are used to thinking that the brain gets tired from a large number of tasks. But the author explains that most often it gets tired from constant decision-making and switching attention.

Imagine a typical morning.

✉️ 100+ emails.
💬 Several messengers.
🗓 Meetings.
💡 Ideas that you can't forget.

It seems like you are already working productively.

In fact, at this moment the brain spends a huge amount of energy not on solving tasks, but on holding all of this in your head at the same time.

One thought struck me the most.

The brain is made to think, not to store information.


The more "open tabs" you keep in your head, the fewer resources remain for truly important decisions. It's like working on a computer: the more tabs open in the browser, the longer the system takes to think.

So now I try to start the day a little differently:

✅first, determine the main task;
✅set priorities;
✅unload thoughts onto paper or into notes;
✅and only then open email.

It seems like a small thing, but the feeling is that energy lasts noticeably longer.

By the way, that's why many people, after an hour of sorting through email, feel as if they've already worked half a day🙂

And how does your work morning start?

✉️ With email and messengers?
🎯 Or immediately with the most important task?