Research has revealed that our brains are not nearly as effective at juggling several things as we

like to believe they are. However, multitasking may seem like a terrific way to get a lot done at

once, and it may be tempting to imagine that our brains are capable of doing so. In point of fact,

there is evidence that attempting to multitask at the same time may really reduce your level of

understanding, attention, and general performance, which can have a negative impact on your

productivity.

People who try to juggle many tasks at once may have greater feelings of distraction than those

who concentrate on one activity at a time. This makes sense when you take into account the fact

that people who multitask often shift their attention to a new activity, thereby diverting their

attention away from the task they were originally working on(Feng et al., 2018).

According to the findings of some studies, people who multitask are more prone to distractions,

and they may even have problems concentrating on a single activity when they aren't working on

many projects at the same time.

Other studies have shown that, while there may be a correlation between multitasking and

distraction, that link is less than was previously believed and varies quite a deal from one

individual to the next.

When we attempt to do many tasks at once, our work is often of lesser quality and takes longer to

complete. This finding runs counter to the conventional wisdom. 2 Psychologists refer to the

negative consequences that arise from moving from one activity to another as "task switch

costs," and multitasking is a major contributor to these costs. We incur task switch costs (such as

a slower working speed) as a result of the greater mental load that is involved with switching
from one thing to another. This is because switching from one thing to another requires us to

switch gears.

Altering our concentration prevents us from falling into the trap of depending on routine actions

to get things done more quickly. We are able to function on "autopilot" and free up more mental

capacity when we concentrate our attention just on a particular activity that we have completed

in the past. By alternating between the two, we are able to get around this procedure, but as a

consequence, our work is often slower.

Multitasking is managed by executive functions in the brain. When we attempt to do many tasks

at once, our work is often of lesser quality and takes longer to complete. This finding runs

counter to the conventional wisdom. 2 Psychologists refer to the negative consequences that arise

from moving from one activity to another as "task switch costs," and multitasking is a major

contributor to these costs. We incur task switch costs (such as a slower working speed) as a result

of the greater mental load that is involved with switching from one thing to another. This is

because switching from one thing to another requires us to switch gears.

Altering our concentration prevents us from falling into the trap of depending on routine actions

to get things done more quickly. We are able to function on "autopilot" and free up more mental

capacity when we concentrate our attention just on a particular activity that we have completed

in the past. By alternating between the two, we are able to get around this procedure, but as a

consequence, our work is often slower.

continue multitasking at home, they generally take longer to do their homework.6) If you

multitask, your performance may suffer, and you may be more likely to make errors.

Adults may also have performance issues while trying to accomplish many tasks at once.

According to the findings of a research that was conducted in 2018, older persons who were

multitasking while driving were more prone to make errors.

Brain Function in Multitaskers

Even for persons who are skilled at multitasking, attempting to do too many tasks at once may

have a negative impact on cognitive function. Research reveals that individuals have a tendency

to overestimate their capacity to multitask, and those who participate in this practise the most

often generally lack the abilities necessary to be good at it. In reality, research suggests that

people have a tendency to overestimate their ability to multitask. 8 What Does It Mean to

Process Information in Parallel in Psychology?

People who multitask often are more likely to be impulsive than their peers, and they may also

be more prone to minimise the potential hazards that come with juggling numerous

responsibilities at once. They also seem to have poorer levels of executive control, and they are

often quickly distracted. 8

It's possible that this phenomena is caused in part by limited cognitive resources.

When we set out to do anything, a number of different neural networks in our brains work

together to direct our behaviour. This conduct entails the following:

Defining one's objectives

Cognitive mistakes are possible outcomes that might result from our attempts to participate in

this process for numerous activities at the same time. We run the risk of failing, for example, to

ignore information that is unimportant, which would lead to even greater distraction.

The precise nature of the connection between juggling several tasks and decreased brain function

is not entirely understood by the study. It's conceivable that persistent multitasking alters the

brain over time, leading to increased distractibility and difficulties focusing, but it's also

plausible that persons with these characteristics are more predisposed to multitasking in the first

place.

Media Multitasking

Some research suggests that people who engage in media multitasking (using more than one

form of media or type of technology at once) might be better at integrating visual and auditory

information. In one study, participants between the ages of 19 and 28 were asked to complete

questionnaires regarding their media usage.10 The participants then completed a visual search

task both with and without a sound to indicate when an item changed color.

Heavy multitaskers performed better on the search when the sound was presented, indicating that

they were more adept at integrating the two sources of sensory information. Conversely, heavy

multitaskers performed worse than light/medium multitaskers when the tone was not present.
Break the Multitasking Habit

You should try to keep the amount of balls you are juggling at any one moment to a single

activity. In the event that you are required to concentrate on many tasks at once, it is

recommended that you mix activities that demand less concentration, such as folding clothes,

with activities that require more attention, such as holding a conversation.

Employ the so-called "20-minute rule." Try to give each of your activities a full 20 minutes of

your concentration before moving on to the next one. This will help you be more productive than

continually switching between things.

Batch your chores. If you find that you are having difficulty resisting the impulse to check your

email or participate in another work that is distracting you, establish a specific time in your day

to deal with it. You may free up your thoughts to concentrate on anything else by grouping

together chores that are analogous to one another and scheduling a time to do them.

Limit distractions. This may include finding a more peaceful location to work in, shutting off

your phone, and turning off alerts and alarms on your computer.

Mindfulness training should be done. It's possible that incorporating mindfulness into your day-

to-day routine can help you become more aware of the moments when you're multitasking. Your

capacity to concentrate and give your whole attention to a single task is another skill that may be

enhanced through the practice of mindfulness.

Research suggests that switching between many tasks at once is bad for our brains. A recent

research discovered that those who often used many forms of media simultaneously had less grey

matter in their brains, notably in regions connected to the control of cognitive processes as well

as the management of emotional and motivational states.

2. Having trouble remembering things is a potential risk of multitasking.

According to the findings of a research that was conducted in 2016, chronic media multitaskers

have problems with both their working memory (the capacity to retain pertinent information

while engaged on a task) and their long-term memory (the ability to store and recall information

over longer periods of time).

3. It's possible that trying to multitask can make you more easily distracted.

Researchers looked examined individuals's ability to multitask at home over the course of a week

and discovered that the more people multitasked, the more likely they were to be distracted by

their activity. The conventional wisdom is that if one responds to a large number of interruptions,

they will eventually lose the capacity to differentiate between significant and insignificant

disturbances.

4. Being distracted by many tasks might cause us to walk into moving vehicles.

When researchers collated data on 1,400 pedestrians in New York City who had been struck by

an automobile, they found that twenty percent of adolescent victims reported being distracted by
a mobile device at the time of their collision, but only ten percent of adult victims said the same

thing.

5. Multitasking is detrimental to your academic performance as well as the academic

performance of others around you.

Students who multitasked on their laptops during a lecture scored worse on their tests, and so did

their classmates who were in clear view of them, according to a research that looked at the

effects of multitasking on learning in the classroom. When we go to the movies, it drives us

crazy when other people are texting on their phones. Here's why: Even when we're not the ones

texting, it's distracting to be around other people who are.

6. Being distracted by many tasks increases the risk of falling and breaking bones.

According to the findings of a research conducted on senior people, multitasking is likely to have

an effect on women's stride, which may result in a greatly increased risk of falling and breaking

bones.

7. Doing many things at once might be detrimental to your relationship.

Smartphones pose such an immediate risk of multitasking and distractibility that they are linked

to relationship problems, a phenomenon that researchers have coined the term "technoference."

Multitaskers caused their partners to experience significantly reduced relationship satisfaction,

which researchers found to be a significant risk factor for relationship problematization.

The question now is, what can you do if you feel as if you have an excessive amount of things to

complete but insufficient amounts of time? The following is a list of my preliminary

recommendations:

* Determine which chores are most important to you and then divide your time appropriately;

this will prevent you from wasting a lot of time on activities that you might easily skip without

causing too much of a fuss.

* Instead of spending time on unimportant details when working on the duties that have been

assigned to you, prioritise the most important components of the work that must be completed.

When working on a job for an extended period of time, take frequent short breaks. In most cases,

this will assist you in being more effective with the little amount of time that you do spend

working on the duties. A decompression procedure is another name for this process sometimes. *

Don't just let it pile up to the point where you can't handle it; instead, if you feel that the burden

of the tasks you are doing is too great for you, make an effort to seek or negotiate support from

other people who might be able to help with some of the tasks in a constructive way. Don't let it

build up to the point where you can't handle it. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge that

you are in need of assistance. Finally, make sure that you schedule some time each week to relax

and do something for yourself. This time can be spent pampering yourself, engaging in social

activities, engaging in creative pursuits, or finding other ways to unwind and relax. This is your

special time, and it can help you avoid becoming stressed out.
If these first ideas don't work, you may need to seek guidance from a coach or another impartial

expert who can help you understand how to make adjustments in related areas that may be

contributing to your troubles. Some of these areas include the following:

- Assertiveness issues (including learning how to say no to requests to do things that you don't

really have time to do)

- Time management skills

- Learning practical skills in how to change habits which you have had for a long time and

how to deal with anxieties about the impact of change on yourself or others.

Since the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, technology in the workplace has produced a number

of tangible benefits, including increased interconnectivity, simplified communication, and

increased accessibility. The capacity to access, organise, and display information has completely

upended the concept of what was formerly thought to be the highest possible level of production.

Because each worker has access to all of this information and power, the workplace of every

company ought to serve as a model of productivity and effectiveness(Chen, Xue, Zhang, &

Zhou, 2020).

But then, within the space of just five minutes, your employee is inundated with a total of six

emails, a mobile phone that is continually ringing, a voicemail, meeting requests, and updates

from social media. As an employee who is invested in the success of their company, they will

make efforts to solve numerous issues at once so that they may make better use of their time. An

employee fights against a machine in an effort to equal its speed and precision in a competition

that will only have one victor in the end.

when the contemporary workplace can often be such a chaotic place? The ability to multitask has

evolved into an unofficial need for the great majority of job descriptions, and a significant

number of interviewers emphasise the significance of this ability to a candidate. Even while it is

hard to completely eradicate the behaviour from an organisation, there are compelling reasons

and studies that propose an alternative strategy. 

The findings of a research that was conducted in 2016 by Dr. Melina Uncapher indicated that

individuals who often multitask across various media forms, such as mobile phones, work

phones, desktops, and laptops, had greater deficit in both their working memory and their long-

term memory. The act of multitasking may have negative effects not just on you but also on

people around you. When put to the exam, students who used their computers to multitask while

listening to a lecture had an average score that was 17 percent worse than their classmates who

did not multitask.

The list of pertinent studies is by no means exhaustive; yet, it is abundantly evident that there is a

problem with the way in which humans function in terms of balancing activities and determining

the relative significance of those tasks. Because our job is so important to us, we naturally desire

the best for the companies in which we serve. However, before that success can be achieved on a

more regular basis, the following realities must first be grasped by organisational leaders:

• No one is ever able to function at their most best when they are attempting to juggle many tasks

at once. • It is not unprofessional to work on one job at a time, concentrate, and then go on to the

next item.
Because our company does not have a culture that is laid back with regard to meeting deadlines,

I am sure that many managers merely rolled their eyes when they heard those remarks. I am

aware of this. It would be ideal if we had all the time in the world to accomplish each of the tasks

we are working on right now; nevertheless, this seems to be an improbable scenario for the

future of the workplace (Dasanayaka, 2008). As I said earlier, nobody is immune to multitasking,

and the ability to do so is required to be successful in the majority of fields.

What can be done, however, is to be conscious of the influence it may have on your performance

and to take efforts to alleviate the issues that follow multitaskers. This is something that is

feasible.
References

Gong, M., Tang, Z., Li, H., & Zhang, J. (2019). Evolutionary multitasking with dynamic

resource allocating strategy. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 23(5), 858-869.

Chen, K., Xue, B., Zhang, M., & Zhou, F. (2020). An evolutionary multitasking-based feature

selection method for high-dimensional classification. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics.

Dasanayaka, S. (2008). SMEs in globalized world: A brief note on basic profiles of Pakistan's

small and medium scale enterprises and possible research directions. Business Review,

3(1), 69-77.

Feng, L., Zhou, L., Zhong, J., Gupta, A., Ong, Y.-S., Tan, K.-C., & Qin, A. K. (2018).

Evolutionary multitasking via explicit autoencoding. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics,

49(9), 3457-3470.