Why Multitasking Is Secretly Making You Less Productive (And What to Do Instead)
Why Multitasking Is Secretly Making You Less Productive (And What to Do Instead) Most people think of multitasking as a sign of being a superstar — answering emails while talking on the phone, or texting while cooking, for example, or having five browser windows open. It feels efficient. But in the real world, it's typically against you. What's actually happening Your brain doesn't really multitask. What seems like doing two things at once is actually your brain flitting back and forth and it takes a toll every time. Each time you jump from one task to another, your brain needs a moment to re-orient itself to where you left off. Repeat that many times throughout the day and it's an incredible amount of time and attention that you're wasting, even though it appears productive at the time. A familiar example Midway through composing an e-mail message, a pop-up appears. You say to yourself you'll only have a look. 2 minutes later, back in the email — but you lost ...