What is Deep Work?
Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive abilities.
Deep Work is a concept coined by Cal Newport in his 2016 book of the same name. It refers to focused, uninterrupted cognitive effort on demanding tasks — the kind of work that creates real value, develops skills, and is hard to replicate.
Deep Work vs Shallow Work
| Deep Work | Shallow Work |
|---|---|
| Writing code, designing, writing | Answering emails, attending meetings |
| Requires sustained focus | Can be done while distracted |
| Produces unique value | Logistical, easy to replicate |
| Improves skills over time | Doesn't develop expertise |
Why it matters
Newport argues that in the modern knowledge economy, the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare — and increasingly valuable. Those who cultivate this skill will thrive; those who don't will fall behind.
How to do more deep work
- Schedule it — Block time on your calendar for deep work, like a meeting you can't miss.
- Reduce context switching — Batch similar tasks. Close Slack and email during focus blocks.
- Use the Pomodoro Technique — 25-minute focus sprints are an accessible entry point to deep work.
- Track it — Measure how many hours of deep work you do daily. You'll likely be surprised how low it is.
Deep Work + Pomodoro
The Pomodoro Technique is one of the most practical frameworks for implementing deep work sessions. A tool like PomodoroBar helps you track how many deep work sessions you complete each day — giving you data to improve.