Multitasking
We’ve all been there: typing an email while listening to a podcast, with fourteen browser tabs open and a smartphone buzzing at our elbow. We call this “multitasking,” and we often wear it as a badge of productivity.
But science has a different name for it: The Multitasking Myth. The uncomfortable truth is that the human brain is physically incapable of doing two cognitively demanding things at once. What we are actually doing is Task-Switching—and it is costing us more than we realize.
Your Brain on “Task-Switching”
When you think you are multitasking, your brain is actually jumping back and forth between tasks with lightning speed. Every time you switch, your brain has to “load” the rules and context for the new task.
This constant toggling comes with a heavy price tag known as Switching Cost. Research shows that multitasking doesn’t just make you slower; it can temporarily lower your IQ by up to 10 points—a drop similar to the effect of losing a full night’s sleep.
The Hidden Dangers of “Doing It All”
Beyond making us less intelligent in the moment, chronic multitasking leads to:
- Mental Exhaustion: Your brain uses up glucose (its primary fuel) much faster when switching tasks, leading to that “fried” feeling by 3:00 PM.
- Increased Error Rates: Studies suggest that multitasking can increase the time it takes to finish a task by 40% and leads to significantly more mistakes.
- The Death of Flow: You cannot reach a “Flow State”—that peak level of performance—if your attention is being hijacked every few minutes.
The Solution: The Power of Singletasking
If multitasking is the problem, Singletasking is the superpower. It is the intentional practice of doing one thing at a time, with your full attention, until it is complete (or until a scheduled break).
How to start Singletasking today:
- Close the Tabs: Keep only the browser tabs open that are relevant to your current task. If you aren’t using it, close it.
- The “Phone-Away” Rule: Place your phone in a drawer or another room during deep work blocks. Even seeing the device creates a “cognitive pull.”
- Monotasking Intervals: Use the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focus, 5 minutes of rest). During those 25 minutes, commit to one task only.
By embracing the slow, focused pace of singletasking, you aren’t just getting more work done—you are protecting your mental energy and reclaiming your peace of mind.
The Question
The Question: Think back to your most productive hour this week. Were you juggling multiple tabs and devices, or were you immersed in just one thing?
