Interstitial journaling: a period at the end of every task

In early 2026, my workdays were a blur of context switching. On a busy day, I'd switch tasks 20 to 30 times. By the end, I felt drained, like I'd been changing the subject all day without finishing a thought.

That's when I came across interstitial journaling. The idea is simple: every time you finish a task or step away from one, you jot a quick note with a timestamp before starting the next.

I kept mine on paper, in my Hobonichi Hon:

• A timestamp
• What I just did, or where I left off
• Then on to the next thing

The way I think about it: if a task is a sentence, the journal entry is the period at the end. It closes the thought so a new one can start.

It worked. I could move on to the next task without the last one running in the background. Once where I left off was written down, my brain didn't have to hold onto it.

But I didn't keep it up. Logging every switch takes time, and when the pressure was on to move faster and get more done, the journal was the first thing to go.

Looking back, I'd weigh that tradeoff differently. Those few seconds probably bought back more focus than they cost. I'd like to bring back a lighter version, maybe just at the bigger switches.