Multitasking is a Myth: Understanding Your Brain's Limitations
In today's hyper-connected and fast-paced world, multitasking has become a way of life for many of us. We juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, often without realizing the toll it takes on our productivity and well-being. While multitasking is commonly perceived as a means to accomplish more in less time, it often does more harm than good. The truth is, most multitasking is a myth that hampers our ability to focus and perform tasks effectively.
In this blog post, we will delve deeper into why multitasking is not the productivity hack it's made out to be. Instead, we will explore strategies to help you break the bad multitasking habit and adopt practices that enhance your concentration and performance.
Multitasking vs. deep attention
How to stop bad multitasking habits
Why multitasking is a myth
Multitasking is the act of performing multiple tasks simultaneously or in rapid succession. It's often done in an effort to save time by accomplishing more tasks in a shorter time span. Like scarfing down lunch, passively finishing an online training course, and reviewing the latest round of applicant for an open position. But the truth is, multitasking is a myth. Giving partial attention to multiple things means you’re giving full, deep attention to nothing.
Multitasking vs. deep attention
Attention is a multifaceted cognitive process that can be categorized into various types, including hyper attention and deep attention. Hyper attention is typically associated with multitasking, where we frequently switch our focus between multiple tasks, which can lead to a decline in productivity. On the other hand, deep attention involves dedicating our full concentration to a single task for an extended duration, resulting in better focus and potentially improved outcomes.
Multitasking disadvantages:
Multitasking reduces efficiency: When you're multitasking, you're not able to give your full attention to any one task. This means that you're more likely to make mistakes, miss important details, and take longer to complete each task. In fact, research has shown that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.
Multitasking increases stress levels: When you're constantly switching between tasks, your brain has to work harder to keep up. This can lead to increased stress levels, which can have a negative impact on your overall health and wellbeing. In fact, studies have shown that multitasking can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to a range of health problems.
Multitasking impairs cognitive function: When you're multitasking, your brain has to constantly switch between tasks, which can impair your ability to think clearly and make good decisions. This can lead to poor judgment, decreased creativity, and reduced problem-solving ability.
Multitasking reduces quality: When you're trying to do multiple things at once, you're not able to give each task the attention it deserves. This can lead to lower quality work and a decrease in overall performance. In fact, research has shown that multitasking can lead to a decrease in the quality of work by as much as 50%.
Deep attention advantages:
Increased productivity: When we give our full attention to a task, we can complete it more efficiently and effectively. By eliminating distractions and focusing solely on the task at hand, we're better able to concentrate and achieve a state of flow, which can help us accomplish more in less time.
Improved quality: Deep attention allows us to fully dive into our work, which can result in higher-quality output. When we're fully present and focused, we're more likely to catch mistakes, identify opportunities for improvement, and produce work that meets or exceeds our standards.
Enhanced learning: When we give deep attention to something, we're more likely to retain the information and integrate it into our existing knowledge base. This can help us learn new skills, deepen our understanding of complex concepts, and expand our intellectual horizons.
Greater creativity: Deep attention can also foster greater creativity by allowing us to tap into our imagination and think more expansively. When we're not distracted by external stimuli, we're better able to generate novel ideas, make unique connections between concepts, and come up with innovative solutions to problems.
Increased satisfaction: Studies have found that being in the state of deep attention (also referred to as “flow”) can be more enjoyable that leisure time!
Overall, giving deep attention is a valuable practice that can help us achieve our goals, improve our performance, and enhance our overall well-being.
How to stop bad multitasking habits
Although there are ways to multitask effectively, we often engage in bad multitasking habits that can actually hinder our productivity and concentration.
If you're looking to break free from this habit, here are five proven strategies that can help you quit multitasking:
Prioritize your tasks: Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete and prioritize them based on their importance and deadline. This will help you stay focused on the most important tasks and ensure that they get done on time.
Master monotasking: Focus on one task at a time and give it deep attention until it's complete. This will help you work more efficiently and produce higher quality work.
Eliminate distractions: Turn off your phone, close your email, and remove any other distractions that might interfere with your ability to focus on the task at hand.
Declutter your work space: Clean your desk, organize the clutter, and close out extra windows on your computer. This will promote deep attention and boost productivity.
Time the work to the task: Choose where you work wisely. Tasks associated with a specific environment become second nature when we enter that environment.
I always deep think on my balcony. I write case studies in this room. I file reports at this desk.
Try connecting specific work tasks to specific location to leverage the power place (check out my post on using the power of place to actually get work done).
Take breaks: Taking short breaks throughout the day can help you stay focused and avoid burnout. Try taking a 5-10 minute break every hour to stretch, walk around, or do something else to clear your mind (see my post on improving creativity at work with white space time).
While multitasking may seem like a good way to get more done in less time, in reality, it can hurt your productivity and lead to increased stress levels, impaired cognitive function, and lower quality work. Replacing bad multitasking habits with rhythms that promote deep attention improve your productivity, creativity, and overall wellbeing.
How to multitask the right way
There is a way to multitask that fuels focus. But most people are doing it wrong. The key is how you pair tasks. Tasks come in three main focus sizes: full, medium, and light.
Let’s break these down:
Full focus task: These are things that effectively need to be done one at a time. Examples include actively listening to a coworker present important financial information, reading through a book that you need to remember, or critically thinking through a problem that requires a creative solution. Attempts to do more than one full focus task almost always comes with a cost. Note that pairing two or more full focus tasks it typically what people mean when they reference multitasking.
Medium focus task: Tasks within this category can flow within the range of attention. Examples include answering a simple email, scrolling through social media, doing laundry, or watching TV. You can pair two medium focus tasks as long as you realize that you are not actually simultaneously processing any information, and that you’re likely emotionally disconnected from both tasks.
Light focus task: These include activities that demand few resources. Examples include doodling, listening to music, or going for a walk. Depending on what you’re pairing it with, light focus tasks can enhance focus by canceling out distractions and subtly stimulating the brain.
For a more detailed breakdown of how to pair tasks, check out my infographic on multitasking.
The brain’s limitations
And finally, understanding how the brain handles information guides us in how to multitask in a way that helpful, not hindering.
The brain’s ability to multitask will vary depending on three factors:
The task: Any time we try to pair two tasks that require active attention, we aren’t able to think of both tasks simultaneously. Instead we flip back and forth between them. This includes tasks that involve language, specific timing, in depth processing, or critical thinking. When we try to combine these, it costs us in both tasks. You could essentially call this “bad multitasking” because doing both at once doesn’t work. A more appropriate term for trying to pair two tasks that require active attention is switch tasking.
For example: imagine you’re trying to write up a key report while also trying to carry on a separate conversation with a colleague. It’s nearly impossible, and both will take twice as long. On the other hand, it is possible to combine simpler tasks (like walking or doodling) with active thinking without costing much (or any) efficiency.
Our past relationship with the task: Remember when you learned to drive? At first it took all of your attention to learn to control a two-ton vehicle in the midst of all the other vehicles moving around you. But after some practice, it’s as natural as walking — and you can now juggle driving with other tasks such as closely to a podcast, or carrying on a conversation. The more time you spend focused on an activity, the more things you can do at the same time within that sphere.
Finally, brain composition: Everyone’s brain works uniquely. In my case, I was diagnosed with ADD, which means I need external stimulation to drive focus. In contrast, my brother-in-law is an aeronautical engineer, and he needs absolute quiet to focus. By being self-aware of what we individually need to create the environment to manage focus, we’ll know what we need to be successful.
Wrap Up
Multitasking may seem like a good way to get more done in less time, but in reality, it can hurt your productivity and lead to increased stress levels, impaired cognitive function, and lower quality work. If you truly want to be more productive at work, hone your prioritization skills and gain clarity of what work is most important. Change your work habits so that deep, focused work can actually happen. Nourish your productive brain with sleep, food, and exercise for maximum performance (I know you already know this, but neuroscience tells us it really does matter). And lastly, understand how to pair differently types of tasks so that you can multitask in a way that actually helps you be more productive.