“Can you Walk, Talk, and Chew Gum?”: The Myth of Multitasking
I can’t multitask! I’ll be the first to admit it. I have resigned myself to the fact my brain can only focus on one activity at a time. There should be a thought bubble over my head that reads “occupied” or “unoccupied” so people know when it is safe to begin speaking to me about a new topic.
People walk up to me at work and just stand in front of my desk while I’m typing. When I look up they say, “I’ll wait until you finish what you are doing.” History has taught them it is the only way to have my complete attention.
One of my most embarrassing moments, and mind you there are many, came while I was trying to multitask at work. I was reading an email when the phone rang. I was focusing so much on reading the email that I answered the phone, “O’Connor Mortuary, this is Lori, how may I love you?” Yep, that happened!
Fortunately I knew the person on the other end and we both got a good laugh out of it. You better believe I turned every shade of red imaginable when those words first came out! I vowed then I would focus on one task at a time.
I was discussing my limited ability with one of my coworkers who told me that multitasking is actually a myth. I thought he was being polite but he insisted that he had attended a seminar where he learned that the mind only truly concentrates on one thing at a time. When you divide your attention it produces mediocre results.
Multitasking is defined as engaging in multiple tasks at the same time, but what I learned is it is only possible under two conditions:
- The first condition is that one of the tasks is automatic and does not require focus. So in fact I am multitasking when I walk my dogs and talk on the phone. Walking does not require thought. Eating is another good example of an activity we can do automatically.
- The second condition would be tasks that involve different types of brain processing. An example of this would be reading while listening to music. If the music is instrumental you will be able to retain what you have read. But if the music has lyrics, reading comprehension declines due to both activities activating the language center of the brain.
What image does multitasking conjure up for you? I see a busy executive talking on the phone, typing an email and nodding to her assistant while tossing back coffee. Boy, if only I could work like that. I would get things done so much faster.
Here’s the catch. While it may appear they are doing it all, looks can be deceiving.
It turns out multitasking is actually counterproductive and in some cases unhealthy for the following reasons.
Reduces Productivity- You in fact are more productive when you begin one project and see it all of the way through whenever possible. Interruptions ruin your train of thought. All of the stops and starts end up wasting time and make you less efficient.
Leads to More Mistakes- Multitasking is a good way to get work completed quickly, but not always accurately. Studies show that individuals who multitask make up to 50% more mistakes and suffer a 10-point fall in their IQ.
Creates Health Problems- The most obvious concern is stress, which can lead to high blood pressure and ultimately more serious problems. Stress also leads to poor eating habits, which can lead to weight gain and other health concerns. Multitasking can also affect your brain and lead to short-term memory loss.
So next time you have a mountain of work piled in front of you, heed the advice found in Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare,” – “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Share an example of your multitasking experiences.
Do you also have embarrassing moments to share?
Have you suffered health issues from trying to “do it all”?
41 Comments
Lori,
I have to jump on the Judy train. I have prided myself on being “flexible” able to jump from one task to the next smoothly without complaint, or a drop in productivity. I have always gravitated to those types of jobs, because I do transition well. As a result in my education, I chose healthcare, which is one giant multitask, with lives on the line. I got my EMT and worked in the field for awhile before moving on to an Emergency Room in Long Beach, where you never had a moment alone, or without some sort of interruption. What we do now at O’Connor’s is very similar. Phones, doctors, theCoroner, Public Entities, directors, owners, families, all challenging and pulling us in different directions. I love it!! I must admit though, that my greatest crowning glory would be motherhood. Not only did I have have 3 children of my own, but willingly accepted 3 additional kiddos when I married my wonderful husband, and then added 1 more. I married a fireman, and I believe I have a true FIREHOUSE mentality. Moving and grooving from one task to the next putting out fires and saving lives along the way!! LOL! Bottom line, God created us all with wondrous variety. If he hadn’t, who would be the one to sit behind the desk at a library, and who would talk the jumper down from the ledge? I say follow your passion, find what brings you joy, and jump in with both feet. If you find yourself in a position that isn’t the perfect fit, abide for a time, learn something new, and continue on your quest for JOY!!
Thankful for you!
Lucy
Kari,
Thank you for sharing your story.
I envy you being able to smoothly transition from task to task. I know the stops and starts throw my timing off.
Now the flexibility part I have had no choice but to learn due to the nature of our business.
Yes, aren’t we blessed that God has created us all differently and taught us to be tolerant of those differences?
Great advice too about continuing on one’s quest for joy! Too many people spend a lifetime in positions they are not passionate about or that rob them of the joy in their heart.
Thankful for you too!!!
Ethel
So true…multi-tasking doesn’t work.
Focus, focus, focus!
Great post Lori!
Joey,
I am so glad this resonated with you!
Thank you for our comments.
I am enjoying your blog as well!
Lori
Lori,
What a great bit of truth! I daily struggle with too many screens open on my computer and my mind darting back & forth between them – it’s never helpful or smooth, it’s just crazy-making. I’m grateful for the refresher this post is to get back to the basics of just focusing. It’s a habit that’s out of practice – even just in trying to write this post to you I’ve downloaded a photo for the next blog, sent a couple emails and helped load toner in the printer – see what I mean? Crazy-making.
Thanks for putting together such a relevant topic and for giving me REASONS to not multitask instead of just telling me not too. Great post!
Molly,
I am so glad you enjoyed reading the post.
As I read your comments above it reminds me of my days at the office. We are in an environment where there is constant stimulation through personal or phone contact. There can be so much coming at us at one time that our wheels are always turning. We are writing andemail, but thinking did I load paper in the printer? It is difficult to shut our minds down and not be thinking of “What’s Next?”.
“Crazy-making” That is a perfect description.
Thanks again for reading and appreciating this post!
I think I used to multitask actually. Not anymore. I don’t think anyone TRULY does, except in the relatively brainless activities you mentioned. I do know that I have constant interruptions in my day and I need to allow them to occur to keep everyone’s ball in the air as much as possible. I am aware that I take longer to get my own train of thought back. So something I should be able to do in an hour can take much longer with the interruptions. I have learned to be more kind to myself, realizing that even though my ball dropped so to speak, the composite ball universe stays afloat, due in part to my willingness to stop and add a bounce. That’s like a mom stirring a pot so it won’t burn while helping mend a child’s broken heart verbally, and moving the dog out of the kitchen with one foot, noticing the clock for timing on getting the other kid to practice with a full stomach. I guess that is multi-tasking. My husband thinks I try to all the time.
Thanks for a good subject. I love our blogs!
Anne,
I love the reassurance you gave above that even though we feel like we dropped a ball on our end, we kept another one in the air. I just had a situation this morning where it popped in my head that I forgot to do something on one of my cases before I left. I am sure I was interrupted and helped keep another ball in the air. It is important not to beat ourselves up when we can’t make it all happen.
I also love the description of what all of you moms have or are going through while taking care of your families. This scene reminds me of what goes on at Kari’s house as well.
I love our blogs too and I love being on the team with you!!!
Lori,
You must work with a very wise person whoever it is. Thanks for writing this and stating so well the pitfalls of divided attention. Mediocrity is hard enough to battle on its own and becomes an insurmountable obstacle when we buy into the false narratives like the myth of multitasking.
The overwhelmed, stressed out, unhappy, “stretched like butter over too much bread” person has at times been me. Much of that pressure has been self induced by telling myself things like, “My boss expects me to be able to do all of this, so I’d better do it.” or “So and so seems to be able to juggle all of these things and more so I just need to try harder.” Comparison steels joy and we are who we are, not ‘so and so’. We have limitations, some of which can me improved upon but in the end, we can only do so much. Striving for excellence means saying “no” when need be and that is hard for those of us who desire to please others in unrealistic ways.
I love this. Thanks for writing it. I will endeavor to resist the myth.
Jeff
Yes, he is so wise that he posted his comment twice!
It disappeared the first time….. I had to rewrite it. Oh brother! I hope I didn’t contradict myself.
Dufus