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CortexLit tool · Learning and attention · Runs offline · No account

Interruption Cost Estimator

Estimate what your daily interruptions cost in re-entry time, and print the case for changing the pattern.

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This tool gives general information based on the research summarised in Interruptions: The Real Cost and the Cheapest Defences. It is not a medical device, does not diagnose, and does not replace advice from your clinician.

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What this is based on


Every output names at least one verified PubMed source. Identifiers were verified on 2026-10-11 in an earlier batch and carried over into this build; they were not re-queried here, and no retraction database was checked. Verification was at abstract level.


Guo 2021
Guo J, Chen T, Xie Z, et al. Effects of interventions to reduce the negative consequences of interruptions on task performance: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and narrative synthesis of laboratory studies. Appl Ergon. 2021;97:103506. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103506. PMID: 34273814.
PMID 34273814 · systematic review meta analysis · weight 1.0 · abstract level
Derks 2025
Derks D, van Mierlo H, Kühner C. Unfinished Tasks and Unsettled Minds: A Diary Study on Personal Smartphone Interruptions, Frustration, and Rumination. Behav Sci (Basel). 2025;15(7):871. doi:10.3390/bs15070871. PMID: 40723655.
PMID 40723655 · observational study · weight 0.5 · abstract level
Stothart 2015
Stothart C, Mitchum A, Yehnert C. The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2015;41(4):893-897. doi:10.1037/xhp0000100. PMID: 26121498.
PMID 26121498 · controlled experiment · weight 0.5 · abstract level


Limits: Re-entry minutes are your own estimate, not a measurement, and the residue effect is a laboratory finding with a modest effect size. This estimates time, not output quality.







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Inputs stay in this page's memory. There is no telemetry, no analytics call and no network request. Saving is opt-in, local to this browser, deletable, and unencrypted.