What if Multitasking is Actually Slowing Us Down?
YARN BARRELS WHEN VISITING A CASHMERE FACTORY
You know that feeling when we're staring down endless to-do lists, absolutely convinced we can't drop a single thing? So, what do we do?
We often try to do it all at once, somehow convincing ourselves that we're the exception – that rare multi-tasker who can defy the odds, spinning all yarns simultaneously, just like in that cashmere factory.
As one of those recovering multi-taskers, I've found it incredibly helpful to peek behind the curtain at what science has been whispering to us. It turns out, that whisper is more like a consistent shout about the hidden cost of constantly context-switching.
Studies about "task-switching costs" aren't just academic jargon. They actually show:
It can take a serious chunk of time – like, more than ten minutes! – just to fully regain your focus after a quick interruption.
Our brains aren't just instant-on light switches.
It's more like trying to restart a cold engine over and over again, each time you swap tasks. It can be an exhausting strategy.
This constant shifting of attention, which we've somehow glorified as "multitasking," often leads to less concentration and, over time, a sneaky rise in anxiety.
I've certainly felt it myself: when my alertness is scattered between a dozen objectives, my energy levels get run down faster than an overheated battery.
We can get so swept up in feeling "overwhelmedly busy" that we totally trick ourselves into believing we're being super efficient.
The Uncomfortable Truth
The reality of what we call multitasking is often less focus, more anxiety, and a distinct lack of overall calmness.
Our amazing human brains simply aren't built to truly do two complex things at once.
Instead, they're rapidly flipping back and forth between them. This constant flipping dilutes our mental power and easily makes us more prone to errors.
Ultimately, juggling several complex tasks simultaneously often creates more work and doesn't necessarily get more done.
Within the creative teams I've worked with, we've had countless practice runs that reveal a simple truth: the mind is far more alert and effective when it's focused on a single mission.
Single-tasking, diving deep from start to finish within a dedicated time, consistently leads to sharper alertness and better outcomes.
And don't mistake "single-tasking" for something grand and complicated. It can be as simple as going through the full motion of taking the washing out of the machine and hanging it up right away, instead of putting it down to quickly start dinner, while shooting an email, and listening to a voicemail, all at the same time.
Or it's about getting out of bed, making it, and carrying on with the next motion, instead of leaving everything half-made to come back to later because you're rushing to shower, or clear up the kitchen you skipped last night because you started binging a series.
It’s about completing one thing before jumping to the next, no matter how small.
Now, about those "multitasking wizards" who swear they're crushing it:
The "Supertasker" Myth: Turns out, what we think makes us great at multitasking might actually be a sign we're struggling. Research from places like Stanford University (Clifford Nass did some insightful work here) suggests that people who consider themselves heavy multitaskers are often worse at it than those who rarely juggle tasks.
They get distracted more easily, struggle to organize their thoughts, and have a tougher time filtering out what's irrelevant. It's a bit of a plot twist: The ones who think they're aces are often the ones feeling the most friction.
Rarity of True Multitasking Geniuses: While you might hear figures like "2.5% of people" are super-effective multitaskers (a stat that doesn't quite hold up as a definitive, universal number across all cognitive science), the core message is crystal clear: true "supertaskers" are exceedingly rare.
For the vast majority of us, trying to do multiple complex tasks at once absolutely slashes productivity. Studies vary on the exact percentage (some say 20-40%, others even higher depending on complexity), but the consensus is unmistakable: it's a productivity drain.
When Multitasking Might Actually Work (A Silver Lining!)
So is it always bad?
Not entirely. There's a silver lining here!
Combining very simple or automated tasks can be beneficial.
Think about listening to music while doing routine house work, walking while talking on the phone, or ironing while listening to a podcast. In these cases, one task is pretty much on autopilot, which frees up mental space for the other.
This can actually lead to a calm mental state and improve focus on the primary task, without that costly mental whiplash. (It makes sense – a lot of designers I know prefer sketching with music, as it calms their spinning minds.)
It's a powerful reminder of how our ancient brains are grappling with a pace and complexity they weren't wired for.
As computer scientist Stuart Card once put it, "The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology." We're trying to run 21st-century software on ancient hardware, and sometimes, it just freezes up.
Beyond Productivity: The Joy of Being Present
Perhaps the key isn't in trying to do everything at once, but in mastering the art of dropping most of it and focusing fully on whatever we're currently engaged with. And here's where it gets interesting: there seems to be a deep connection between how we take things in and how much we actually enjoy them.
Doing everything at once often robs us of the sheer joy of truly investing in something.
We're frantically shifting gears in a blur, ending up getting things done, but can't remember half of them. Worse, we haven't truly processed the majority, which can slowly clog up our internal system, leaving things feeling stuck and "half-digested."
It’s like when you're wrapping up an emotionally charged phone conversation, but you're also secretly eyeing your emails to see what "easy one" you can quickly answer.
Apart from it being a tad disrespectful to the person on the other end, the biggest harm is the one we do to ourselves.
You hang up, and that emotional topic is still a blurry, unresolved mess because you evaded it. Plus, you then realize one email went to the wrong address and there are mistakes in others.
I can shamefully admit I've had calls where my mind was still stuck in a past conversation while I was quickly shooting an email, only to realize, when questioned about my opinion, that I hadn't heard the question at all.
And it can be critically consequential to just nod along, suddenly finding you've apparently agreed to a person's request, only to realize in your haze of split attention that you're now financially accountable for a mistake made by another department. Yikes.
When we constantly live past consciously engaging in communication, we live past our chance to truly connect.
And most of us know that hollow feeling when someone's talking to us, but their mind seems to be in a completely different galaxy.
When it Feels Like We Are Losing Connection
It can feel pretty abandoned when you hear someone typing while you're trying to be heard. Or when people take a phone call in a silenced group conversation, only physically present. I've experienced that countless times, and have done it myself, feeling totally unaligned on every channel.
The other day, a friend in New York was telling me about a deeply troubling moment she had with an extremely difficult boss.
As I was settling down to give her my full attention, she mentioned she was putting her earbuds in so she could carry on cleaning her apartment. She then rambled along without ever coming up for air, and all I could do was take in the forceful energy coming through the phone.
Now, granted, sometimes just being a soundboard is the most important support we can give. On the other hand, I felt a bit like, "Well, if you're not even aware if I'm paying attention, not letting me insert a question for clarity, then what's the point?"
I was even tempted to put myself on silent for a moment to clear out the dishwasher. And I guess that's the moment when we have to gauge: is it about just not being alone in the rant, and the background task is fine?
Or is it time to call "time-out" and actually reconnect beyond the outer noise?
Think about it: what are the things you remember more clearly from your day yesterday?
What touched you and passed through in a way that it feels resolved and lived, without a bunch of loose ends hanging about?
A gentle hint that we've had too many tabs open simultaneously is when thoughts about them keep popping back up. That's what happens when we don't tie up a sequence with truly committed attention.
The Art of Zooming In and Out
Admittedly, the switch from apparent multitasking to really focusing where I am is still a bit uncomfortable.
It can feel like a loss of control, like I'm missing out on having an "overview" of everything on my radar all at once.
And it's true, I am missing out on other things when I'm intensely focused on one.
Yet, over time, I've noticed how much more clarity there is in the areas where my focus was. And that calms down so much of the general irritation running in the background.
It feels like it's about mastering the art of zooming in and out.
It's like taking a bird's-eye view when we need an overview to structure our day, week, or project.
And then, intentionally switching to zooming in on the interdependent building blocks with full attention, allowing them to come together more clearly and deeply processed.
Food for Thought:
How many things can you truly be attentive to simultaneously?
What kind of tasks do you feel you successfully multi-task with? (And are they truly complex, or more like those "automatic" ones?)
Do you, at times, confuse busyness with efficiency?
When do you feel the most productive and clear-headed?
Is it hard for you to focus on something intimately? If so, why do you think that is?
What task combinations actually enhance your performance and even your well-being, rather than depleting you?