Multitasking?

Multitasking is a term that describes doing more than one activity at a given time.

It was once a term one could brag about on their job resume, but it is now seen as a term to shy away from.

It sounds great to be able to do multiple things at once, but research shows that this is impossible.

It’s also detrimental to your health.

This meta-analysis found that multitasking causes the following:

Increase of Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) activity

Decrease of Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) activity

The SNS is the part of your nervous system that provides a “fight or flight” response. It kicks in during times of stress.

The PNS is the part of your nervous system that regulates life-sustaining activities and provides relaxation.

Dual-tasking is when you switch between doing two different tasks at once. Interestingly, that study cited above found the same effects as with multitasking.

This study here finds that multitasking also reduces the quality of performance in tasks. It also discusses cell phone use while driving, which has been compared to drinking and driving. You can read some wild stats about cell phone use while driving by clicking here.

Students have been studied regarding cell phone use while learning. Whether it be studying at home or learning in the classroom, concurrent technology use has been found to reduce learning, grades, and GPA’s.

The take home is this: If you are feeling stressed, or you are not performing like you know you can, consider doing one thing at a time.

It’s likely that you are trying to do too much at once. We are all guilty of it, myself included.

Sometimes just a little planning is all you need. This study here found that single-tasking with sequential planning optimizes performance.

So, grab a pen and paper and make a list.

Focus individually on each task – one thing at a time.

You’ll not only feel better, but you’ll be more productive.😀