If you have ever struggled with focus, maybe a friend has mentioned that you should try working in short-bursts instead of conquering your work all at once. Even if you think this idea is strange, it isn’t necessarily a bad suggestion. There are three major benefits to working in short bursts.

1. You Will Be Less Tempted By Distractions

In a society where you are expected to have your cell phone on you every minute of every day, it can be difficult to resist picking it up when the screen lights up. And once you pick it up, you usually aren’t on it for just one second. When you work in short bursts, it helps you be less tempted by distractions. When you know that you can check on the distraction in a few minutes, you lose the urgency to check it out right away.

2. You Can Plan Your Work More Effectively

When you work in short bursts, you can plan what you intend to do with each of your 15- or 20-minute bursts. Planning these short bursts makes it easier to decide what to do because you can only fit so much work into one burst. It focuses you on focusing on the essentials. It also helps because planning a 20-minute work session seems less serious than planning a whole day, so you won’t feel stressed deciding what to spend your time working on during each short burst.

3. You’ll Be More Focused, And Your Mind Will Be Clear

Some research shows that the human mind can only focus at its maximum for about 20 minutes at a time. This fact means that you are fighting your mind when you attempt to focus for longer periods. When you take frequent breaks from your work, like those outlined in the short burst work method, your mind will get the rest it needs between tasks. Thus, every time you start a new burst of activity, you will be starting with a fresh mind that can stay focused for the entire task!

No matter how you look at it, working in short bursts is truly the way to go. It will help you be less distracted, more organized, more focused as you work, and you won’t be as tired. So next time someone suggests the short burst method, listen to that friend and consider applying this technique to your next project!