How Multitasking is Wrecking Your Productivity
Multitasking, the productivity illusion that keeps you busy but not effective.
Imagine this scenario: you're at home, ready to tackle an important task on your computer. You get comfy, maybe make sure your work area is clean (or maybe you don't—there are two kinds of people out there), and then you begin. A few minutes in, you're reading through some information, and your phone rings. You answer it, thinking you’ll just 'multitask.' As you talk to the person on the other line, you try to continue reading, but you're not getting anywhere and end up reading the same paragraph several times until you finally hang up the phone.
How about this one: have you ever needed to study, whether for work or school, and decided to put some music on? Then, a few minutes in, you find yourself singing along and getting nowhere with the subject matter?
Both examples I just poorly laid out illustrate the myth of multitasking, and it's a big one—like gum taking seven years to digest or humans only using 10% of their brain.
Now, I can guess at this point you might be saying to yourself, "Yes, but what about [XYZ scenario]? I multitask doing [XYZ] all the time." And to be fair, the argument being made here is mostly a semantic one. But according to science, multitasking is technically not possible for most people. This, of course, depends on how you define the term. The definition science settled on is as follows: performing multiple tasks at the same time with equal effectiveness. So, if that’s the case, what am I doing when I’m cooking at home while watching TV? Well, psychologists would say you're task-switching or switch-tasking (science cannot, apparently, agree on which term is most best), and that you’re actually switching your attention back and forth in quick succession.
So, what’s the big deal? Why is task-switching bad for my productivity?
Well, you might think that whatever it’s called, working on more than one thing at a time is obviously beneficial, and I’d love to agree with you—except that I just read a bunch of information that says that would make us both wrong. The trade-offs of task-switching can actually be quite steep, and in many cases, psychologists have documented as much as a 40% loss in productivity versus focusing on one task at a time. Remember, task-switching is still technically only focusing on one task at a time, but switching between it and others. This means the productivity lost in task-switching is not from trying to focus on more than one thing at once, it’s actually lost in a few other ways:
1. Increased Errors: Subjects were found to have higher error rates in tests performed while being asked to switch tasks, even at intervals as far apart as four hours!
2. Switch Costs: This is the cognitive cost of time and mental effort when transitioning between tasks. Basically, this is the 'spin-up' time of getting your 'juices flowing' for the new task.
3. Creativity Impact: Frequent task switching was found to negatively affect subjects' ability to be creative.
Neuroscientists have found that the brain’s working memory is better utilized when focusing on one task at a time. They believe the human brain is not designed for heavy-duty multitasking, and attempting to do so can lead to mental overload. A key part of that is 'heavy-duty.' Scientists aren’t saying it’s physically impossible to walk and chew gum, or drive a car and talk to your friend (although we all have that one friend where it’s best to just let them focus on the road). No, science is simply telling us that the more complex the task or the more comprehension it requires, the more advantageous it is to give it our singular focus—aka single-tasking. Some methods to consider when doing so:
1. Time Blocking: Allocate specific time slots for the multiple tasks on your to-do list to avoid multitasking temptation.
2. Batching: Group similar tasks together to avoid heavy context switching.
3. Use Breaks Wisely: Incorporate short breaks between intense focus sessions to refresh your mind. Going outside for a walk in situations like this can work wonders on your mental reset.
4. Try Flow-State/Deep-Flow Methods: Ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? Thirty minutes on, five minutes off, repeat. This is a personal favorite.
So to wrap up, multitasking is not what you’re doing when you’re swiping through your phone and listening to your favorite murder podcast—you’re task-switching. And that’s why you don’t know how or why the killer was suddenly the victim’s neighbor. When it comes to tasks that require high levels of comprehension, there’s no better tactic than to single-task it.
As always, I hope you had as much fun reading this issue as I had writing it. Until the next one,
-Wes