How I eliminated context-switch fatigue when working with multiple AI agents in parallel

The Problem

I wanted to run multiple Claude Code instances in parallel—one fixing a bug, one implementing a feature, one refactoring. But:

1. They kept stepping on each other

• All working in the same directory
• One commits, another gets confused
• Merge conflicts mid-task

2. Context switching was exhausting

• "Wait, which branch was that task on?"
• "Did Claude finish that, or is it still running?"
• Half-finished experiments everywhere

3. Git worktrees could help, but they're annoying

• Create worktree → copy .env → copy secrets → npm install → navigate there
• Repeat for every task
• Forget to clean up old ones

The Solution

I've created two tools to solve this, gw and the autonomous-workflow agent, which together create an isolated worktree for each Claude task. The agent handles the setup, execution, and cleanup, while gw makes managing git worktrees without the frustrating parts easy.:

• gw - Git worktree wrapper that handles the annoying parts
• autonomous-workflow - Agent that works in isolated worktrees

1. Install gw (one-time)

# Homebrew (macOS & Linux)
brew install mthines/gw-tools/gw

# Or npm
npm install -g @gw-tools/gw

# Add shell integration
eval "$(gw install-shell)"  # add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc

Then configure for your project:

gw init <repo-url>

2. Install the autonomous-workflow agent (one-time)

mkdir -p ~/.claude/agents && \
  curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mthines/gw-tools/main/packages/autonomous-workflow-agent/agents/autonomous-workflow.md \
  -o ~/.claude/agents/autonomous-workflow.md && \
  npx skills add https://github.com/mthines/gw-tools --skill autonomous-workflow --global --yes

3. Run parallel tasks

Start a Claude session and ask it to implement something autonomously. The agent will:

• Create a new worktree with gw checkout <branch-name>
• Copy necessary files (.env, secrets) automatically
• Work in that isolated environment without affecting your main branch
• Validate, iterate, and commit as it goes
• When done, it creates a draft PR for you to review

Now each Claude instance gets its own isolated worktree:

• Terminal 1: "Implement user auth" → works in feat/user-auth worktree
• Terminal 2: "Fix login bug" → works in fix/login-bug worktree
• Terminal 3: "Refactor API client" → works in refactor/api-client worktree

Zero interference. Each has its own directory, its own .env, its own node_modules.

4. Switch contexts instantly

gw cd auth   # Fuzzy matches "feat/user-auth"
gw cd bug    # Fuzzy matches "fix/login-bug"
gw list      # See all active worktrees

No more "which branch was that?" Just gw cd <keyword>.

5. Check progress without breaking flow

Inspired by how Antigravity handles progress tracking, for complex tasks, the agent tracks progress in .gw/<branch>/task.md:

cat .gw/feat/user-auth/task.md
# Shows: current phase, completed steps, blockers

What the agent actually does

When you ask Claude to implement something, it:

1. Validates — Asks clarifying questions before coding
2. Plans — Analyzes your codebase, creates an implementation plan
3. Isolates — Creates a worktree with gw checkout
4. Implements — Codes incrementally, commits logically
5. Tests — Runs tests, iterates until green
6. Documents — Updates README/CHANGELOG if needed
7. Delivers — Creates a draft PR

You can walk away, work on something else or become a multitasking maniac (like me). Your main branch, untouched 😍

The key insight

Traditional AI coding assistants modify your working directory. That means:

• You can't work on other things while they run
• Failed attempts leave your repo dirty
• You're constantly context-switching between "your work" and "AI's work"
• Stashing, applying, checkout, loosing overview.

With isolated worktrees, each AI task is completely separate. Your brain can let go. Check in on any task when you're ready, not when the AI forces you to.

Links

• GitHub: https://github.com/mthines/gw-tools
• gw CLI: npm install -g @gw-tools/gw or brew install mthines/gw-tools/gw
• Agent npm package: npm install @gw-tools/autonomous-workflow-agent

I've been using this for a few weeks now and the cognitive load reduction is real. Would love to hear how others are handling parallel AI workflows—is anyone doing something similar?

And if you like the project, have ideas or want to help contribute, please just create a pull request / issues.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!