Editorial
Early in my career, I correlated my professional value to how busy I felt. Particularly in the first five years of my career, it seemed like a badge of honor to say things like, “Gosh, I can't, I'm too busy,” or “I had back-to-backs all day.” I often associated being overburdened and overstretched with my efficacy and influence.
The reality is that multitasking is a myth, and juggling between multiple tasks isn’t real multitasking. It’s really rapid context-switching your attention from one matter to another, which is incredibly draining and counterproductive.
Studies show switching gears between tasks like that — especially when those tasks are complex — makes us less efficient and more likely to make mistakes. But there are ways to limit distractions, find your focus at work and ultimately optimize productivity.
How Multitasking Influences Work Quality
When I was 27, I wanted to become an air traffic controller. The exams for this certification cemented my assumption that one cannot multitask. During one test, basic arithmetic is introduced (two times two, five plus nine) which you must solve. This is completed easily.
At the next stage, you're instructed to push a button each time a light that is rotating through seven different colors turns red. You must do this while still solving the simple math that is coming at the same rate. Next, they add a third simple task of pushing a button every time you think two approaching dots will touch. The acceptable failure rate was zero.
It was a prioritization exercise and a real wake-up call for me and the class. We learned quickly that air traffic control is hard, and that multitasking is impossible. One cannot multitask, only switch tasks.
I remember all of us being excited and chatty at breakfast before the testing. But it was so incredibly mentally draining to do three very simple things at once that by lunchtime we were like hollowed-out humans.
Research from the Wiley Online Library backs up our brain drain. A 2022 study proved that multitasking and situational awareness (SA) training for air traffic controllers failed to improve subjective SA performance during specific air traffic control tasks, especially more complex tasks.
Related Article: How Do We Balance Focus and Connection in the Digital Workplace?
The Cost of Context-Switching
At the office, you’ll likely be doing more than simple math and button-pushing. If you’re moving between budget reviews, vacation request approvals and confirming the correct images in a press release all at once, you are likely to make a mistake. Switching costs are high, and quality is the price you pay.
If you’re frying an egg for breakfast, for example, and you switch to a different pan to fry bacon, there’s not much thought transition needed. This is a “thin task” with low cost, like replying to a DM.
However, if you’re frying an egg for breakfast, and you step away from the stove to work on your dissertation, there’s a lot more brain power and memory recall required to move from task one to the other. This is a “thick task” with a high cost, which might correlate to writing a quarterly marketing plan.
Studies from the American Psychological Association tell us that the brain can only focus on one thing at a time and that it’s impossible to effectively do multiple things simultaneously. A switch cost of just a few tenths of a second per switch can add up when done repeatedly, creating brief mental blocks that can deplete as much as 40% of someone’s productive time.
Related Article: Finding the Balance Between Deep Work and Collaboration
Taming Distractions During the Workday
When we talk about multitasking, context-switching and distractions inevitably arise. Distractions are usually those thin, short tasks that keep poking us while we’re trying to focus on a thicker, longer task. We can avoid these distractions in a number of ways.
Batching Tasks
One way to limit distractions is to batch tasks based on type — thick or thin, long or short. Focus on tasks that have a similar level of difficulty or duration. Setting aside time in the day to batch back-to-back meetings, or answer all calendar requests at once is efficiency-saving.
Create Timed Goals
Setting timed goals can greatly reduce context-switching and distractions during your workday. Pick a project, set a timer for a specific chunk of time and commit to fully focusing on one task within that project. It's like putting on blinders to all the other things vying for your attention. BONUS: Create a small reward to give yourself at the end of that time block. It can be something as simple as stepping outside to stretch in the sunshine or refilling your cup with your favorite tea. Little rewards can be great motivators to stay on track and resist the urge to check your phone or jump to another task.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks throughout the workday may seem counterintuitive, but it supports productivity. It’s easy to overcome any guilt you associate with taking breaks when you realize that regular breaks from work prevent burnout and enhance focus and concentration by allowing the brain to reset. Micro-breaks, lasting 3-5 minutes and taken every 25-30 minutes, have been shown to significantly improve well-being and performance, reducing stress and fatigue while increasing accuracy, productivity and creativity. Physical or mental activity during breaks in a quiet environment — think walking or reading — is most effective.
Related Article: Being 'Always On' at Work Will Deplete Staff's Battery
In-person vs. Virtual Meetings
When your desk is home to multiple monitors, distractions come at you from literally all angles. The key to tamping them down is to bring the etiquette and focus behaviors of in-person meetings to virtual meetings. When meeting in person, people close their laptops or don’t bring them to the meeting at all. Silencing notifications and focusing only on the people on the screen in front of you during a virtual meeting is the equivalent of that, and will make your meetings more effective, and successful.
Save Yourself From Yourself
I’ll be the first to admit that notifications can deliver a tempting buffet of tiny tasks that, once completed, give you a hit of dopamine. It can be hard to resist ticking off those thin, short, tasks for little moments of success. Because I'm so easily distractible, I've created techniques to save myself from this temptation.
I block off time in the day to virtually close my office door to give myself the appropriate focus, space and time to devote to high-quality, longer tasks. Additionally, in Slack, I corral channels I don’t want to leave but don’t need to read every comment in, into sections. Then I use bulk actions, like muting every channel in a section when I need to focus, in just one click. I can also go to preferences and turn off all notifications, or block specific hours of the day when notifications are quieted.
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Changing Work Culture to Acknowledge Healthy Boundaries
In our fast-paced world, it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once. But I've learned that true productivity isn't about multitasking — it's about giving your full attention to one task at a time. By recognizing the toll that constant context-switching takes on our mental resources, we can start to reclaim our focus and boost our effectiveness.
As businesses navigate the evolving definition of productivity, building and fostering a healthy work culture where focus, not multitasking, is prioritized will benefit them and their bottom lines.Nowadays, I've come to appreciate the value of having breathing room in my schedule. Back in the day, I used to view empty slots as a weakness, a sign that I wasn't doing enough. But now, I see them as essential for my well-being and my ability to do my job well. So, let's ditch the myth of multitasking, prioritize quality over quantity, and give ourselves the space to do our best work. Trust me, it's a game-changer.
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