The Truth About Multitasking: Can You Really Do It Effectively?

Myths of Multitasking - Why the Human Brain Can't Multitask

It would be nice to be able to do several things at the same time, however, recent studies show that this is not possible, especially when dividing your attention equally between tasks. Have you ever wondered what is multitasking really like? While many people think multi task is about doing tasks at the same time, it's actually about quickly switching between tasks. You can't write software code and answer the phone at the same time. Instead, your brain is scrambling back and forth.

Literally surrounded by smartphones, monitors, smart watches, and other gadgets, people in today's world are forced to switch due to a multitude of distractions. However, many leaders still believe in the benefits of multitasking as it gives the illusion of productivity in the workplace. But the latest facts about your brain show that it is not designed for multitasking. What's more, constantly switching between tasks reduces cognitive ability, increases the likelihood of error, and even harms a person's cognitive health.

How Multitasking Breaks Down Your Brain

So, the big question is, can the human brain multitask? Statistics say that there are only about 2.5% of so-called supertaskers who can multitask without losing efficiency. Since constant switching between tasks steals your energy and time, it can become a kind of cognitive conflagration. For example, getting distracted even for just a couple of seconds to read a notification on your smartphone can cause you to lose focus and take extra minutes to get back to the task at hand.

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Even worse, chronic multitaskers perform worse on memory tests and are less likely to come up with new ideas, suggesting that multi-tasking has a negative impact on your memory and creativity. When working hard, a multitasking person is more likely to experience stress and anxiety. Scientists have found that over time, this even affects the structure of the human brain, as the density of areas responsible for controlling emotions decreases.

Common Myths about Multitasking

There are many misconceptions about multitasking that lead many managers to believe in its power:

1. Many people think that multitasking saves time. However, practice shows that people who constantly switch between tasks spend up to 20-40% more time on them.
2. Myth number two can be described by the question, ‘is multitasking a skill?’. The truth is that it is rather a bad habit that affects even professionals in their business.
3. It is also commonly believed that multitasking at work is a normal practice. However, according to Asana, media multitasking (when you are distracted by social media notifications, for example) is bad for long-term memory and working memory.
4. There are several types of multitasking. For example, some people separate task switching and context switching. Ultimately, either of these options has a negative impact on productivity as you have a residual attention span about the previous task.

The one task at a time approach reduces errors, improves the quality of your work and leaves your head clearer at the end of the day. By continuing to believe in these myths, you only feed the false sense that you are doing everything right and your productivity is at an all-time high.

Multitasking as an Enemy of Productivity

Many office workers have to literally juggle multiple tasks, including analytics, work chat and creating a progress report. Since, as scientists are already well aware, the brain is unable to process multiple tasks in parallel, it wastes a lot of energy jumping around. ScinceDirect research has shown that students multitasking in class and when doing homework have lower GPAs. Incidentally, this shatters another myth that supposedly members of recent generations raised on gadgets handle multitasking better than baby boomers.

While multitasking keeps you in superficial mode, it's crucial to have the ability to solve complex problems and create. That is, cognitive health meaning it's not just about clarity of thought, but being capable of more than something average. Moreover, constantly switching between different activities makes you more susceptible to stress as your cortisol levels rise. If you want to achieve better results in training and work and avoid burnout, it is worth choosing a one task a time approach.

Rebuilding the Brain for Focus

Being just one of many bad habits, multitasking is breakable. You can regain focus and improve your cognitive health by building a system based on two principles.

First, start with one task a day that really moves you forward. Try to focus on that task for 30-90 minutes without social media, notifications or calls. Also, create a clean space on your desktop to get rid of the so-called visual noise that distracts.

Second, train your attention daily. Start with 30-minute sessions where you focus on one specific task. Gradually build up your focus time and add a 5-minute meditation to increase your thought control and reduce the urge to do multiple things in parallel. Also, give your brain a rest by taking a 10-minute break after each focus block.

Taking about two months (or more, depending on your personality), building a focus habit will allow you to do more and better, with less stress and a clearer head.

Multitasking in Teams

If juggling tasks takes place in the workplace, it is usually fraught with more mistakes and missed deadlines. While building focus in a team is challenging, try starting small:

• Reduce the number of meetings and their length. Since most of these meetings are frankly idle chatter, they can easily be replaced by emails or tracker tasks.
• Introduce so-called quiet hours when each employee can switch to one task at a time.
• Distribute roles so that each employee is responsible for something. To achieve this, divide projects into sprints with clear deadlines so that everyone takes on their task without fuss.
• Build a culture of trust in the workplace to avoid losing focus due to a relentless stream of messages or the requirement to always be in touch with the leader.

Ideally, you, as a manager yourself, should go off on one task at a time to set an example and give the team space to do the same. In this way, you will also take care of the mental health of your employees, as multitasking and burnout go hand in hand, according to Asana.

Multitasking vs. Focusing

What Causes Our Inability to Multitask?

Unfortunately, the truth is that not all people have ideal working conditions. Also, some tasks are so boring that you can't keep your focus all the time without getting distracted by something else. Using the principles of threaded cognition theory, you can figure out when multitasking has the worst impact on your productivity.

The developers of this theory put the brain - as a procedural resource - at the centre of things. Coordinating your senses and responsible for motor functions, it starts to malfunction when you use the same resource to perform two or more tasks or require the same attention.

Imagine you are busy writing a report. You'll agree that it's much easier to do this when you're listening to background music than watching an interesting YouTube video. This is easily explained by the fact that you do not need to take your eyes off the laptop screen while listening to music. However, if the lyrics of the song interest you and you start thinking about it, you will immediately lose focus, which will delay your report.

So, in any case, try to focus on one thing at a time. This way you will save valuable time, reduce stress and ensure high accuracy of doing the task.

Wrapping Up

So, if you're still wondering about ‘can you multitask', then remember that it's just a myth making you pay a heavy price for the illusion of busyness. As it turns out, our brains are not capable of real multitasking, and so you lose productivity, time, and cognitive health trying to force your brain to go beyond what it can do. If distractions are many and hard to get rid of, a one task at a time approach (where you have to build a whole system and maintain self-discipline) is the only way to achieve faster and non-trivial results at work.

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