Early in my career multitasking was always thought of as an attribute. When looking for a job, employers often listed this ability as a perquisite for a job. Multitasking was viewed as a valuable attribute for an employee, a badge of honor. For a while I was convinced this true and was the best way to work. In my 20’s and 30’s I got such an adrenaline rush from handling multiple tasks simultaneously. I thought I was performing at my peak by multitasking.
However, research dating back to the 1990s shows that multitasking has never been an efficient way of performing. We’re just not wired to handle multiple projects at once. Each time we switch between projects or tasks, we are producing more cortisol, the stress hormone that alters the functioning of our brain, and negatively affects our physical body. According to Glenn Wilson, professor of psychology at Gresham College, multitasking reduces cognitive abilities more than smoking marijuana does.
Long term multitasking reduces our ability to focus and erodes our memory; specifically, our ability to recall information. Instead of being efficient, multitasking takes longer to complete tasks and projects; and you’re prone to make more mistakes.
Even more shocking, “A study by the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks, experienced an IQ score decline similar to those who have stayed up all night. Some of the multitasking men had their IQ drop 15 points, leaving them with the average IQ of an 8-year-old child. The next time you find yourself in a meeting, trying to juggle listening to your boss and reading the day’s top stories, know that little information will be stored from either tasks when all is said and done.”1
We see evidence of multitasking all time with disastrous outcomes: many people still text and drive. And we all now know the risks of texting and driving. My pet peeve, however, is meeting with someone socially or for business while they’re checking their phone constantly for emails and Facebook posts. How can you perceive the nuances of human interaction if you are always on your phone? It seems multitasking is pervasive in our culture. Everyone is doing it.
Some say it’s okay to multitask when you’re doing low demand tasks such as opening mail while answering the phone. And some tasks are considered complementary like listening to music while working. Some tasks are natural to us and require no cognitive shifting, like eating or drinking water while walking or jogging.
Jobs require a lot of us these days. If you’re like many and have a lot on your plate, try to devote solid chunks of time to each task before moving on to the next task. Set aside some time each day just to think and meditate with no interruptions. Remember, innovation and creativity are not born from multitasking. Give your complete focus to the task at hand, your productivity and performance will greatly improve.
Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/is-multitasking-bad.html
https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/resources/articles/to-multitask-or-not-to-multitask/
https://spinsucks.com/entrepreneur/multitasking-bad-productivity-good/