Interstitial journaling: one note at every break

Where the method comes from

Tony Stubblebine described interstitial journaling as a way to replace a to-do list with a running log written between tasks. Anne-Laure Le Cunff later explained it as a single workflow that combines notes, tasks and time tracking. The idea is simple: the gap between two tasks is when your head is still full of the first one, so that is the moment to write it down.

What a day of entries looks like

09:25  Drafted the intro. Stuck on the second example. Next: find a real case #thesis
09:55  Found the case, wrote 300 words. Next: tighten the opening #thesis
10:25  Email pulled me away for 10 min. Next: back to the opening #thesis
10:55  Opening done. Tired, taking the long break properly

Each line has three parts, and none needs to be polished. What happened, where you stopped, and the next concrete step. The last part matters most: when you sit down again, you know where to start and you do not need to rebuild where you were.

Why the gap between tasks is the right moment

When you switch tasks, part of your attention often stays on the one you left. Sophie Leroy called this attention residue in a 2009 study, which found that people who switched away from an unfinished task did worse on the next one. Writing down where you stopped will not remove that effect entirely, but it gives the unfinished thought a place to go instead of looping in your head.

The hard part is remembering to write

Most people who try interstitial journaling stop for the same reason: the method depends on noticing the switch. In a busy day there is no clear moment that says “write now”, so the log has gaps by lunchtime and is abandoned by Thursday.

A fixed rhythm solves this. If your day runs in 25-minute focus blocks with 5-minute breaks, every break is a switch point. The prompt arrives on its own, about every half hour, and you never have to remember to look for it.

How to do it in Tiblok

1. Open the free time blocking timer and set your working hours. The default is 09:00–17:00.
2. Before a block starts, write the one thing it should move forward.
3. When the block ends, a Break note field appears above the next task. Write one line about where you left off.
4. Leave it empty if you prefer. A skipped note is not a failure, and the next break gives you another chance.
5. At the end of the day, press Export .md. Each round’s task and break note are saved together as one Markdown file.

The break note can be edited until the next focus block begins. Your finished rounds stay in the day’s list with their notes underneath, so you can scan the day at a glance.

Tags that work in Obsidian

Add a hashtag to a task or a note, such as #thesis or #client/acme. The export keeps tags as real tags instead of escaping them, and lists every tag of the day in the file’s properties. Save the export into your Obsidian vault and the day joins your other notes on the same topic: search the tag, open the tag pane, or follow it in the graph.

---
tags:
  - thesis
---

# 2026-11-02 17:01:12 — Completed tasks

## 09:00–09:25 · Round 1

- Draft the introduction #thesis
  - Break note: Stuck on the second example. Next: find a real case #thesis

Tags follow Obsidian’s rules: no spaces, letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens and slashes for nested tags, and at least one letter. #2026 on its own is not a tag. To save exports straight into your vault, choose the vault folder the first time you export, or later under Settings → Export folder. Supported browsers remember the folder.

Prefer Notion?

You can embed the timer in a Notion page and write break notes there. The same page has a free Notion template with a blocks table and a journal section.

Interstitial journaling and ADHD

Some people with ADHD say interstitial journaling is one of the few systems they keep using, because each entry is small and tied to a moment rather than to a separate planning session. If you try it, keep entries to one line, do not go back to fill in missed breaks, and let the timer do the remembering. This is a planning habit, not a treatment. For support with ADHD itself, talk to a qualified professional.

Questions people ask

How long should an entry be?

One or two lines. If writing takes longer than the break, the note is turning into a report.

Is a done list the same thing?

A done list records what you finished. An interstitial journal also records where you stopped and what is next, which is what helps you restart. Tiblok’s export gives you both: completed tasks with the break notes underneath.

Do I need special software?

No. A paper notebook and a clock work. A timer that prompts you at every break just makes the habit easier to keep.