Multitasking: Is It A Myth?

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May 3rd, 2022

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Letʼs face it, weʼre all guilty of multitasking. Whether itʼs studying while watching your favorite TV show, cooking and talking on the phone, or writing an email while sitting in a meeting. Weʼre constantly trying to push our brains to accomplish as much as possible in the least amount of time.

But are we actually successfully multitasking? Or is the idea of multitasking a myth?

The answer is not as simple as you might think.

What is multitasking?

 Multitasking (just like it sounds) is the act of engaging in multiple activities at the same time. Itʼs become so normalized in our society to constantly “go go go,” that focusing on just one task at any moment seems like a pipe dream. But in reality, multitasking is not as effective as we may think...

The Truth About Multitasking

Our brains are made up of thousands of cells, with thousands of neurons that fire rapidly throughout the day. These neurons remind us to breathe, sleep, eat, keep our hearts beating, and inform how we react to various stimuli. But unfortunately, despite it seeming like our minds are fully equipped to focus on multiple tasks at one time...Itʼs actually impossible.

According to Dr. Paul Achtley, our brains can only process one stimulus at a time. So if youʼre talking on the phone and cooking dinner, your brain will switch its focus between the conversation and the action of cooking. Your brain is physically unable to both listen to the phone and actively cook a meal at the same time. Have you ever gotten off the phone with someone after doing something else through the whole conversation and realized you missed half of what they said? Thatʼs because if youʼre engaged in other tasks, your mind physically cannot also focus on actively listening to what youʼre hearing.

Why Is Multitasking Dangerous?

Despite scientific evidence that multitasking is impossible, itʼs still extremely common. We constantly see people trying to text and drive, or write messages in the middle of meetings, or order food while talking on the phone with someone else. This idea of constant rushing is actually causing more harm than good!

Bombarding your mind with stimuli and repeatedly asking it to change focus from one sense to the next is destroying your ability to process information. According to Dr. Achtley, Multitaskers are 40% less efficient than individuals working on single tasks, and their quality of work also diminishes significantly.

But beyond the mental consequences, multitasking can also have severe physical consequences. Texting and driving is the most obvious example. Your brain can only focus on the text you are sending, OR the traffic around you. No matter how “quick” you think your reaction time is, the fact of the matter is that if you are not focusing on driving, youʼre at risk of causing a severe accident.

How To Manage Multiple Tasks The Right Way

So how can we juggle our busy lives, still get everything done that we need to, without feeling like weʼre being forced to multitask? It takes some extra effort on your part, but it is possible.

The most important step is to notice when you are trying to multitask, and choose which activity is your priority. Do you need to finish writing that email, or do you need to focus on your meeting? Do you need to hear the latest gossip from your friend, or do you need to make sure you donʼt set fire to your kitchen? Prioritize your most important task, and save the rest for later.

Step two is to become more consistent with your time management. If you have 7 things on your daily to-do list that should all take between 1-2 hours, try not to let one of those tasks take up most of your day. Be aware of the time youʼre spending checking social media, responding to notifications, and other distractions that are keeping you from being entirely focused on the tasks at hand. Give yourself a specific time frame to focus ONLY on one important piece of work, and then move on to the next. It takes discipline and awareness, but managing your time properly and not trying to fit everything into the same span of minutes will actually help you get more work done, not less.

The final step is to know when multitasking is acceptable, and when it is not. Because of the fast paced nature of our modern world, you will find yourself in situations where you feel obligated to multitask. Maybe your friend is going through a divorce and need to vent, but you really need to finish putting away the laundry. Whatever the situation is, be honest with yourself and anyone else involved. In this case, tell your friend that you are there for them, but you may not be fully engaged in the conversation because you have to finish this other important task. They may just want an ear to listen, or they may offer to call back at another time. Being upfront about your personal needs and own limitations will help you make better decisions when it comes to managing your busy schedule.

But even the best of us struggle to “zone in” on one task, no matter how few distractions are around us.

If you find yourself desperately trying to dedicate your time to specific tasks, but keep feeling your mind wandering or your desire to multitask taking over, there is an easier way to get your work done.

Clarigenz Focus Plus+ is the first nootropic of its kind perfect for those who want to boost their productivity. Formulated with BioCitroid™, Clarigenz will help you stay focused on what matters most, and keep your mind from wandering to other tasks.

With no jitters, crashing, or other harmful side effects, Clarigenz Focus Plus+ is the perfect solution for busy adults who need help getting more work done with fewer distractions.

Click the link below to try Clarigenz Focus Plus+ today, and stop letting multitasking destroy your productivity! 

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