Why Multitasking is Killing your Productivity?

‘Multitasking is the ability to screw everything up simultaneously.” Jeremy Clarkson

Multitasking Doesn't Work  

Trying to do everything at once might seem like an enticing idea to finish all your tasks at the soonest time possible. I spent a long period of my life trying to do multiple things at once and mistaking being busy with being productive. No matter how irresistible multitasking may seem, did you know that switching between tasks is not the most efficient way to get the work done?

Yes, there are many reasons why multitasking doesn’t work, and here are some of them:

It Can Negatively Affect Your Memory 

That urge to multitask can sabotage your memory. Studies revealed that multitasking harms your short-term memory or working memory. This working memory lets you recall essential details someone told you or remember upcoming meetings or appointments.  If you often forget odd bits of information even after you remind yourself several times, these memory lapses might be due to your habit of multitasking. 

It Can Result in Poor and Low-Quality Work 

Failure to commit your entire focus on one thing only increases the risks of making errors. It was found out that multitasking can make you more prone to making mistakes or completely missing important context or information. Although switching between tasks can make you feel like you are a superhero of productivity, it might only result in lower and poorer quality work than what you can produce, not cool.

It Can Stress You Out 

Often I have clients complain about feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, when we explore this we often find they are ‘spinning plates’, or juggling tasks. Constantly switching back and forth between assignments and emails can make you feel frazzled and weary. You will feel different if you spend a few focused and dedicated hours making significant progress on one specific project at a time. 

This is because it has been proven that multitasking increases your stress levels. Every time you try to do several tasks, specifically those that are very important, all at once, your brain will respond to impossible demands by pumping out a load of adrenaline as well as other stress hormones, such as cortisol. 

What is even worse is that your health can be put at risk if such hormones are steadily flowing. It means that multitasking will not just send your brain into a state of panic as it can also wreak havoc on your body.

It Can Lower Your Productivity Levels

This one may sound counterintuitive. How will you be less productive when you get to do two things simultaneously? Well, for one, you don’t really do two things at the same time. Scientists revealed that it is simply impossible for humans to do this well, which explains that one of the most popular party tricks is trying to tap your head while rubbing your stomach. What happens instead is that you just quickly switch between two tasks, such as jumping from a project to your emails and so forth. 

If you are switching tasks four times per workday, it is estimated that you are losing almost one hour a day, as opposed to if you had just committed to sticking to the specific project at hand.  This means that you are not that productive in the first place. In fact, you could be losing around 500 hours a year in wasted time or 2 months a year. I am going to write that again, you could be wasting 2 MONTHS of your year by constantly switching between tasks. Stop!

All of these are only the tip of the iceberg. Multitasking has a massive downside and little or no upside, it is easy to feel productive under the guise of multitasking because you will seem busy, but if you think that it lets you do more, you might want to think again.

Hopefully, you have found the above valuable, if you are interested in anything that I do catch me at www.stephendoran.co.uk

Other than that, have a lovely weekend and I hope that wherever you are reading this from, the sun is shining brightly for you. #LIVEDAILY