"Multitasking is a lie." - Gary Keller
As rightly quoted by Gary Keller, the human capacity to multitask is frequently viewed as a desirable talent in today's fast-paced world. To complete numerous tasks at once is called multitasking.
One example of it is responding to emails while participating in a conference call or the famous talking on the phone while driving. Texting while driving while attempting to multitask can have disastrous results, including accidents and injuries. It's impossible to type a message and drive at the same time. This puts at danger the driver’s life as well as other drivers or people crossing the road. To do multitasking, you need to be extremely skilled and effective all the time.
A recent study suggested that multitasking is proving to be less beneficial these days than originally predicted to be. Let’s look into the science of multitasking, see why it's thought of as a desirable skill, and make the case that multitasking is a fallacy that can harm productivity, increase stress, and produce inadequate work.
Knowing how the brain handle activities are crucial to understanding how multitasking impacts cognitive ability. The brain's ability to take information and divide its attention among several tasks is restricted. It must withdraw from one task and then re-engage in the other when it is in the utmost capacity as it requires time and effort. Several factors can harm cognitive performance when task switching:
Reduced productivity: Multitasking may make us feel like we're accomplishing more, but in reality, it just means we're switching between things and not giving any one of them our complete attention. This may result in less productive workers producing work of lesser quality.
Added stress: Switching between tasks frequently can be mentally taxing and raise stress levels. This may make it challenging to focus and cause burnout.
Reduced capacity for knowledge retention: Multitasking can impair our capacity for information retention. We may forget crucial information from the prior activity while switching between tasks because our brains must reload the information required for the current task.
Reduced creativity: When we multitask, we deny the time and space that our brain requires to generate creative responses to issues. Instead, we are switching between tasks, which can restrict our creativity and impair our capacity for critical thought.
"Ninety-eight percent of people can't multitask—they can't do either task as well," wrote Garth Sundem in his article. [1] Focusing on one job at a time, or monotasking provides many advantages. It enables us to focus entirely on the task at hand, which may boost productivity and produce work of a higher caliber.
Giving our brain the time and space to concentrate on just one item might boost creativity and improve problem-solving ability. As we aren't continuously switching between jobs and feeling overburdened by several demands on our attention, monotasking can help lower stress levels. Monotasking is important, and by giving ourselves permission to focus on just one thing at once, we might increase our efficiency, productivity, and general wellbeing.
Studies showed that in comparison to a single task, participants in the dual task worked more slowly, their memory span was shorter, and stepped off the path 12.6% more frequently. In comparison to single-tasking, the stride length fell by about 20%, while the stride velocity rose by more than 2% [2].
Here are some helpful pointers on how to monotask successfully:
Divide big targets into smaller ones to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to help you focus. One can advance and experience a sense of satisfaction with each task completion by breaking them down into smaller and more manageable pieces.
Set critical works in order of importance to make sure that you are concentrating on the most crucial matters first. Make a list of your daily responsibilities and then prioritise or organise them according to urgency.
Using the time-blocking technique can also be a plus. Assign the jobs to particular blocks of time. You are more likely to do your work swiftly and efficiently in this method. You may also use a timer to commit to working or doing a task for a specific period of time.
It is equally important to reduce distractions: Try disabling notifications on your phone or computer, removing useless tabs or applications, and working in a quiet area to reduce distractions. Informing coworkers or family members that you require undisturbed time to concentrate might also be useful.
Breaks can genuinely boost concentration and productivity. By taking breaks, we allow our brains to relax and regenerate. Try to take quick pauses during the day to stretch, go for a walk, or do something enjoyable. When you return to work, this will undoubtedly help you feel less stressed and concentrate better.
Finally, I would conclude by saying mastering monotasking is a critical ability that can greatly increase our productivity and well-being. We may fully engage in an activity, lower stress, encourage creativity, and improve problem-solving skills by concentrating on one task at a time. Remembering that multitasking is a myth and that attempting to juggle multiple tasks at once lowers productivity and increases stress levels is crucial.
Citations:
Leland, A., Tavakol, K., Scholten, J., Mathis, D., Maron, D. J., & Bakhshi, S. (2017). The Role of Dual Tasking in the Assessment of Gait, Cognition and Community Reintegration of
Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Materia Socio-medica, 29(4), 251.
Sundem, G. (2012, February 24). This Is Your Brain on Multitasking. Psychology Today.
Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-
trust/201202/is-your-brain-multitasking
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