“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,
You must work with a really wise person whoever it is. The distracted, stressed, overwhelmed, “like butter scraped over to much bread” person has been me at times. Somehow thinking that I can do this task too and wanting to accommodate and please others to a fault sometimes and even thinking things like, “My boss wants me to do this so he must think I can”. Not wanting to speak up about the unrealistic load because I do not want to disappoint them. Then there is the demon of comparison. You know what I’m talking about. The old “So and so is able to do this and they even do it faster so I have to be as good as them if not better.” No better recipe for loosing joy.
Excellence has never come from the mind enveloped in the tyranny of the urgent, yet our culture accepts the myth of this false narrative of multitasking without question.
Thanks for writing this Lori and for stating in clearly and succinctly. I will endeavor to remove this mythical expectation from my daily life. I will reject it outright and pursue excellence instead.
Well said and well done,
Jeff
Jeff,
What you describe above is how I used to think to a tee. I’m a pleaser so I wanted to try to say “yes” to everything so I did not feel like I was letting my bosses down. Worse than that they might not think I was up to the job.
I have also fallen victim to the comparison demon. If you allow it to, it can really do a number on your self worth. Realizing that God made you differently which also means working at a differenct pace is vital for a healthy outlook.
I am glad you enjoyed the post and found it helpful.
Thank you!
Lori
Oh and wise may be one too far!! Lol!
Lori, it’s all crystal clear now! Thank you so much for explaining the multi-tasking myth, I thought it was just me being an idiot when doing too many things all at once & having them blow up in my face. I have has a few embarrassing moments while trying to do too many things at once. Ride my bike & drink a sip of water- I crashed. Do dishes & talk on the phone- I dropped the phone in the water. Take a call while working on a different family’s file- called the person I was speaking with by the wrong name.
While embarrassing, all these examples taught me to stop doing one thing before picking up with another. I’m truly clumsy while trying to physically multi-task. I’m completely awkward when trying to verbally or mentally multi-task. In either situation, the end result is the same- a mess that takes longer to clean up than if I had just slowed down in the beginning.
Thank you so much for showing me that I’m not crazy! XOXOX Carrie
Carrie,
You, my dear, are FAR from an idiot!!
Thank you for sharing your embarrassing moments! I am laughing about the phone being dropped in the water. Lol!! I hope it was not your cell phone!
You are absolutely NOT crazy!! xoxox Lori
Lori,
I believe that we multi-task all our lives. What matters is how we balance what we are doing. assign priorities to our attention direction, and like a mental ballet dancer (please, don’t imagine me in a tutu or whatever!) attempt to glide back and forth between priorities as our day progresses. Sounds pleasant? sounds real? It isn’t, yet it also is, for this is an unreachable goal, but one that out of necessity we inherently strive for in order to therapeutically feel and believe that we are actually in control of our lives.
What a wonderful thought…and…then…CRASH…something else invades our personal space and that dirty word that violates us called “ADJUSTMENT’ controls us, and thru maturity we indeed realize that we must ADJUST-RESET-REBOOT, or whatever four letter word we care to further attach to it, and move onward and, of course, upward.
Grow or Die as they say.
…and as you know, I have GROWN to LEARN to not MESS with the E-BOOK.
Your devoted follower…I’ve got your back!
Greg
Greg,
Thank you for your humorous comments. I can’t help it, you made me imagine the tutu!
I agree that while it is not a reachable goal, we all must continue to strive for it, like it or not.
And thank you for not messing with the eBook! Lol!
You made me laugh and that makes my day!
Thank you Greg!
Lori
Lori,
I was not on the blog in 2012, now I’m. Saw this blog and it interest me. I feel
Women can do any Multitasking. Reason I raise five children by myself and
I know I did a wonderful task, believe me there was no way I could get away from
not doing Multitasking . My Adult Children are doing well!!!! I Love it!!!!!
With work certain project need step by step in order for it to be done correctly,
that is true. But I do believe some can and some are unable and they know their limit.
Thank you, this was a great Blog.
Frannie
Mark,
Thank you for your reply and the sweet sentiment.
I will be sure to tell you I Love You more often.
I’m certain you will be really comfortable with that.
Thanks again my brother!
Lori