Somewhere between the morning rush, endless notifications, and multitasking so common it feels like breathing, many of us find ourselves asking: am I truly getting more done, or am I just spinning my wheels? The idea of juggling multiple tasks at once has become a badge of honor in today’s fast-paced world. Yet, a growing body of research suggests that our brains may not be as adept at multitasking as we like to believe. Instead of boosting productivity, attempting to do too much at once may be holding us back.
The Brain’s Take On Multitasking
The human brain is surprisingly single-minded. Despite the temptation to think you can write emails, chat with friends, and listen to a podcast all at the same time, neuroscience says otherwise. When you "multitask," your brain isn't doing all the activities at once. What it's actually doing is rapidly switching between tasks, a process called task-switching.
Research from Stanford University found that frequent multitaskers had more trouble organizing their thoughts, filtering out irrelevant information, and even switching between tasks compared to those who focused on one thing at a time. In fact, the interruptions and split focus meant they performed worse on cognitive tests designed to measure attention and memory.
Why? Each time your brain transitions from one task to another, there's a "switch cost"—a brief period where your focus is lost and mental resources are wasted. According to the American Psychological Association, these fractions of a second can add up, leading to a 40% decrease in productivity.
Productivity Pitfalls: The Hidden Cost Of Doing Too Much
Many people believe that by multitasking, they're squeezing more value out of every moment. The reality, however, is often the opposite. Tech distractions alone—quick glances at your phone, social media pings, or checking emails—can fragment your focus. Studies estimate that even minor interruptions can make a simple task take nearly twice as long.
Also, multitasking doesn’t just sap your efficiency; it can also hurt the quality of your work. The University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score drops similar to what one would expect after staying up all night. That’s hardly a recipe for top-tier performance.
Then there is "attention residue," a term coined by organizational psychologist Dr. Sophie Leroy. When you switch from Task A to Task B, some of your attention stays with the first task, leaving part of your mind preoccupied. This reduces your ability to fully focus, causing shallow work and making errors more likely.
Why Multitasking Feels Good (But Might Not Be Good For You)
If multitasking is so inefficient, why do we do it? Part of the answer lies in the dopamine rush of novelty. Every time you switch tasks, your brain gets a little shot of dopamine, making it feel enjoyable and even addictive. This feeling of busyness can be mistaken for progress or productivity.
Social expectations play a role too. In an "always-on" culture, there's a subtle pressure to do more, respond faster, and show you’re capable of handling it all. The result? We glorify hustle and busyness, sometimes without stopping to ask if our efforts are truly effective.
How To Turn Multitasking On Its Head: Smarter Ways To Work
Fortunately, all is not lost for those seeking efficiency. The key is to harness focused work rather than scattered attention. Productivity experts recommend a practice called single-tasking: dedicating uninterrupted time to one task before moving to the next. You may recognize this in techniques like the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break), which can help train your brain to sustain attention.
Batching similar tasks together can also reduce the mental friction of constantly switching gears. For example, you can set aside specific times in your schedule for answering emails, making calls, and deep-focus work. This approach creates boundaries and structure, allowing your mind to delve deeper and produce higher-quality results.
Mindfulness, the act of being fully present in the moment, can further chip away at the urge to multitask. Simple habits like turning off notifications during a project or setting your phone on airplane mode can help minimize distractions and keep you tuned in to the task at hand.
