Reality check: We live in a busy world where a million things are happening at once. For many of us, multitasking is a way to keep up with the grind. From checking email at brunch with friends to finishing a status report during a staff meeting, a lot of us are trying to accomplish a lot—all at the same time.
Here’s the problem: Only two percent of us multitask effectively. That means the remaining 98 percent of us are running around like headless chickens in the name of “productivity."
So what to do? It’s time to put down your smartphone, lift up your head, and actually listen to that funny joke your friend is telling or that question your boss is about to throw your way. Increased productivity is available to us all—and surprisingly, it may come in the form of doing only one thing at a time.
What's the Deal?
Multitasking with a phone (or iPad, tablet, etc.) is so prevalent that one study called it the “epidemic of distraction.” The epidemic of distraction. Weksler ME, Weksler BB. Gerontology, 2012, May.;58(5):1423-0003. Contrary to popular thought, addiction to mobile electronic devices may actually impair multitasking, lower performance, and result in cognitive overload. Guess we aren’t as productive with that iPhone as we thought, huh?
Your Action Plan
As it turns out, our brains aren’t very good at doing more than one thing at a time. One study found that the brain may get overwhelmed when faced with multiple tasks. A bottleneck model of set-specific capture. Moore KS, Weissman DH. PloS one, 2014, Feb.;9(2):1932-6203. Researchers found that when we attempt to multitask, the brain “bottlenecks” the information and quickly moves its attention from one thing to the next, instead of addressing the items simultaneously. Rather than becoming more productive when faced with multiple tasks to accomplish at once, this suggests we really only become more frazzled—and thus less able to handle the challenges of a high workload.
While most of us are susceptible to multitasking, research suggests that people who have a harder time blocking out distractions and focusing on a single task are more likely to be multitaskers. Who multi-tasks and why? Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. Sanbonmatsu DM, Strayer DL, Medeiros-Ward N. PloS one, 2013, Jan.;8(1):1932-6203. And those who multitask usually overestimate how successful they are at doing so (sorry, guys).
But there’s hope yet. Once you’re willing to accept that multitasking isn’t doing you any favors, follow these tips for focusing on one thing at a time—without sacrificing productivity.
1. Put down your phone (or tablet or laptop...)
8. Cut out clutter.
It may not be easy to quit, but science says multitasking isn't all it’s cracked up to be. Staying focused and concentrating on one task at a time is worth a shot. And who knows? We may end up getting more done—and feel calmer—in the long run.
Originally published March 2014. Updated September 2015.
