Multitasking may seem like a good way to get more done — but evidence suggests the opposite. Here’s the truth about multitasking, and what to do instead.
Ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? You aren’t the only one. Many of us feel overwhelmed with the amount of tasks we have to get done — at work, at school, or around the home.
It only makes sense that so many of us try to tackle two items on our to-do lists at the same time (even if one of those things is just catching up on a podcast).
Ironically, though, multitasking may have the opposite effect.
Studies suggest that multitasking not only makes us less productive in the short term but may also
Here’s the catch: Even if you think you’re particularly good at multitasking, you probably aren’t. One study found that only 2.5% of people could effectively perform two tasks at once without experiencing a drop in performance.
Even when we try to accomplish two things at the same time, most of us aren’t truly multitasking — we’re really “task switching,” or rapidly switching back and forth between two tasks (rather than doing them both simultaneously). That’s not always a bad thing, though. The human brain appears to be built, more or less, to do one task at a time.
Multitasking takes place in the prefrontal cortex (a region at the front of the brain) and the parietal cortex (a region at the back of the brain).
The parietal cortex is responsible for storing information about what happens when you encounter certain events — for example, you’re playing a video game and you see a letter L, meaning, turn left, or a letter R, meaning, turn right — while the prefrontal cortex is responsible for selecting the correct response for each of these prompts.
Multitasking may be so difficult for people because the brain may have a kind of “bottleneck” — a natural limit in which only one task can be completed at a time. It’s thought that the prefrontal cortex may be the area of the brain where the bottleneck occurs.
When you try to switch quickly between two tasks at once, the brain struggles to make the change. This results in a “switch cost,” which demands more mental resources.
It strains your brain’s ability to hold and process information temporarily, which is crucial for learning and remembering. The result is slower processing, reduced accuracy, and impaired memory. And because short-term multitasking can increase stress levels, it can also result in higher blood pressure and an elevated heart rate.
Even heavily multitasking with a phone, computer, or TV can also hamper our short-term memory.
Making things more complicated, media multitasking is also tied to increased anxiety and depression, perhaps because it interferes with our attention or causes something called a “negative information bias,” in which you’re more likely to home in on negative or distressing information.
Over time, the same challenges multitasking causes for short-term memory can eventually impair long-term memory as well. Since you aren’t able to remember information in the short term, that means less information is processed deeply, so it’s harder to recall information later on.
In this case, practice doesn’t make perfect: Chronic multitasking causes the brain to lose its ability to filter out distractions and transition between tasks. The results can be mental exhaustion, forgetfulness, and a decrease in flexible thinking.
If you’re afraid you won’t get anything done without multitasking, remember that some tasks can be done more or less on autopilot.
Tasks that are automatic — for example, folding laundry — don’t demand much from your brain and can be done alongside something that requires more focus (like thinking about what you need to buy at the grocery store).
Similarly, many of us walk while listening to music or even “switch” between eating and talking with someone at dinner. The key is to try not to combine two or more complex tasks, such as driving while sending a text message.
The best way to stop multitasking is simply to focus on one task at a time. (Easy in theory, harder in reality.) Start by prioritizing the most important tasks you need to accomplish. Writing a to-do list can help you rank the items in order of when you need to get them done.
In addition, schedule breaks in your day to avoid getting mentally worn out. The Pomodoro Technique suggests focusing on a task for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. After repeating this four times, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
Multitasking is linked to poorer focus and concentration and impaired short- and long-term memory. For better or worse, the brain is usually only wired to work on one complex task at a time.
Although it’s common to multitask, only a small percentage of people are truly able to do multiple tasks at once without it negatively affecting their performance.
Multitasking can have detrimental effects on both your short- and long-term memory, making it harder to perform tasks correctly, retain and remember information, and focus.
While it’s OK to do simple tasks while also doing something else, like chatting with someone while folding laundry, it’s best to do more complex tasks one at a time, like answering work emails and then listening to a podcast.