I don't see how any of this happens all the time. If I were to maximize terminal and IDE/Browser I won't see those things either.

You are likely more used to it than i am. Thing is even if i maximize my terminal on windows or mac, how much can i actually do without switching context to get some things done. Switching between software is also not what i consider distructing. Its the how, the discovery of files and software, the switching between windows, switching between possibly dozens of windows of the same kind. How many key strokes are some actions away? (Given mac is a lot better in this degree than windows).

Some approaches on linux, be it gnome or kde or tiled solutions are just so much more efficient

You've just described it, you need intermediate step of maximizing. You can get away from distraction for a while.

Funny, absolutely everything you said applied to Ubuntu last time I tried it.

There are so many groups in Linux. Ubuntu was oriented towards Windows users. Check out Arch Linux pkgstats [1]:

* gnome-shell is GNOME

* plasma-workspace is KDE

* i3-wm and sway — tiling WM and its Wayland successor

* xmonad — WM building framework

Note: these are installed packages among those who opted in, does not strictly reflects usage. Some fun statistics [2].

[1] https://pkgstats.archlinux.de/compare/packages#packages=gnom...

[2] https://pkgstats.archlinux.de/fun

Ubuntu is a horrible example for well one UX or even a stable linux system. Times change, and i totally agree thats its hard to see trough as average user.