Dual monitors, one side offdaily

This is a daily space routine that lightens everyday life. Use “Dual monitors, one side off” to build a more wellness-friendly home or desk.

Dual monitors increase productivity, but having Slack and email always open on the second screen splits your concentration. Every time you look sideways, your attention switches, and deep work becomes difficult to even begin. The 'one side off' rule does not reduce hardware, it only returns attention. The idea is not to get rid of the secondary monitor, but to decide when to turn it on. To prevent attention from being split when there are two screens, the first thing to do is to clarify the criteria for turning them on.

When to turn on

Turn on assistance only for tasks that require two screens, such as resource references, code, and design comparisons. When starting a 25-minute concentration block, assistance is defaulted to OFF. Just load the materials on the secondary screen before the meeting, and turn it off again after the meeting. Repeat the turning on and off ritual so that ‘always on’ does not become the default. If you keep the secondary screen as a tool that you only turn on when you need the material, your focus blocks will be much longer.

In place of the extinguished spot

Place a note or ‘one line today’ goal next to your main monitor. If you place a physical cue in place of the secondary screen, you will see something to do when you habitually look to the side. A glass of water does the same thing. Instead of a turned off monitor, ‘one thing today’ catches your attention.

Notification isolation

This week I only watch Auxiliary OFF during my morning focus. If I have a lot of material work to do in the afternoon, I only turn it on then. If you don't feel it, you can relax the rules, but if your concentration has increased, set the default to OFF. If you gain the experience that 'even if you turn it off, it works' through a week of experimentation, the rule will last a long time. One screen for focus, two screens for reference only—this distinction is key.

one week experiment

This week I only watch Auxiliary OFF during my morning focus. If I have a lot of material work to do in the afternoon, I only turn it on then. If you don't feel it, you can relax the rules, but if your concentration has increased, set the default to OFF. If you gain the experience that 'even if you turn it off, it works' through a week of experimentation, the rule will last a long time. Practicing focusing on one screen is especially necessary for people who have dual monitors.