You probably won't like this suggestion, but I think the effect you're experiencing is a mirage. I've spent a lot of time on 3-monitor setups and a lot of time

You probably won't like this suggestion, but I think the effect you're experiencing is a mirage. I've spent a lot of time on 3-monitor setups and a lot of time on just a laptop screen and I think the number of screens ranked somewhere around #43 on a "List of things affecting my productivity." As Adam Carolla jokes, if you use chapstick every day, then suddenly you notice that you can't live without chapstick. But, if you never use it, then you don't need it. A lot of things are like this, including, I think, multiple monitors. Go without them for a while and you'll find that they're really not necessary.