The Myth of Monotasking and Multitasking
Finding your productivity sweet spot.
According to neuroscientist Dr. Eyal Ophir from Stanford, our brains aren't actually capable of focusing on multiple things simultaneously. What we call "multitasking" is really just rapid task-switching, and it's about as effective as listening to an audiobook whilst driving for the first time.
Dr. Ophir's research, highlighted in the Stanford Study on Media Multitaskers, found that heavy multitaskers perform worse in tasks involving memory and attention control compared to light multitaskers. This is akin to listening to an audiobook while driving in an unfamiliar city—your attention is divided, and neither task gets your full focus.
Every time you switch between tasks – from email to Slack to that document you're supposed to be editing – your brain uses energy. It's like a tiny cognitive tax you're paying, over and over, all day long. And by the time you finally sit down to work on your Substack, your brain feels like it's been through the mental equivalent treadmill workout.
So, here is some stuff about multitasking and monotasking, I know.
According to research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, these switch costs can reduce productivity by up to 40%. It's like paying a cognitive tax repeatedly throughout the day. By the time you finally sit down to work on your writing, your brain feels like it has run a mental marathon.
In his book "The Myth of Multitasking: How 'Doing It All' Gets Nothing Done," Dave Crenshaw delves deeper into this concept. He argues that multitasking is a myth that hampers productivity and increases errors. Crenshaw's insights align with the research findings from Stanford, reinforcing the idea that multitasking diminishes efficiency and cognitive performance.
The Monotasking Dream (and Its Pitfalls)
So, the solution must be monotasking, right? Just focus on one thing at a time, achieve flow state, and watch your productivity soar? Well, not so quiet.
While deep, focused work is crucial—an idea extensively explored in Cal Newport's "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World"—there's a downside to consider: attention blindness.
Attention blindness is the cognitive equivalent of having blinders on. You might be laser-focused on crafting the perfect sentence, but you could be missing crucial information or opportunities in the process. The famous "invisible gorilla" experiment by psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris illustrates this phenomenon. Participants asked to count basketball passes often failed to notice someone in a gorilla suit walking through the scene. This demonstrates how intense focus can lead to missing significant, albeit unexpected, events.
Daniel Goleman's "Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence" further explores this balance. Goleman discusses how too much focus can actually hinder performance by causing us to overlook important peripheral information. His work suggests that while focus is essential, maintaining a level of open awareness is equally important.
Finding Your Productivity Sweet Spot
So, what can we do? The answer lies in finding a middle ground – a way to harness focus without becoming oblivious to the world around you. Here are some strategies to consider:
Cluster tasking: Group similar activities together. Maybe you batch all your email responses in the morning, leaving your creative energy for writing in the afternoon. (This is about the only time where the batching technique comes in handy, and prepping the weekly meals, I suppose.)
This approach is supported by Devora Zack in "Singletasking: Get More Done—One Thing at a Time." Zack advocates for focusing on one type of task at a time to enhance efficiency and reduce the mental fatigue associated with constant switching.
Pomodoro technique: Work in focused 25-minute sprints, followed by short breaks. It's like interval training for your brain. Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology indicates that short, planned breaks can significantly enhance mental agility and focus.
Scheduled "white space": Build buffer time into your day for unexpected tasks or creative breathers. In corporate arena it’s labelled as "inefficiency," but Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" argues that this white space is crucial for creativity and mental well-being. McKeown suggests that allowing time for reflection and rest can lead to more meaningful and effective work.
Mindful monotasking: When you do focus on a single task, set a timer and check in with yourself periodically. Are you still on track? Has anything urgent come up that needs your attention?
This practice aligns with Gary Keller and Jay Papasan's "The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results," which emphasizes the power of sustained focus on a singular priority while remaining adaptable to necessary interruptions.
Strategic multitasking: Some tasks can be combined effectively. Listening to podcasts while commuting, cleaning, or cooking? That's multitasking gold. Trying to write your newsletter while on a Zoom call? Recipe for disaster.
A study titled "The Relationship Between Multitasking and Academic Performance" published in Computers & Education found that multitasking in cognitively demanding tasks significantly impairs performance, whereas combining a cognitive task with a mundane physical activity does not have the same detrimental effect.
There’s no escape.
Even when you make that glorious leap to full-time Substack writing, you won't escape the multitasking entirely. You'll be juggling writing, editing, publicity, engagement, and possibly many other tasks I can’t think of right now.
The key is to be intentional about how you divide your attention. Recognize when you need deep focus and when you can afford to let your attention wander. Build systems that work for your brain, not against it.
Cal Newport's concept of "deep work" emphasizes that while deep focus is essential, we must also manage "shallow work"—the logistical aspects of our profession that, while less cognitively demanding, are still necessary.
The key is to be intentional about how you divide your attention. Recognize when you need deep focus and when you can afford to let your attention wander. Build systems that work for your brain, not against it. Daniel Goleman suggests practicing "open awareness," a state where you can maintain focus while also being receptive to unexpected opportunities and information.
So, take a deep breath. Close those 37 open browser tabs. And start writing.
This really has got me thinking a lot about ‘multi-tasking’. I attempt it a lot but I see so much sense in what you say. Is there anything we can do at the same time? I don’t know anymore 😂
What an enjoyable read! I wholeheartedly agree that multi-tasking is essentially task-switching, and it's nearly impossible to focus effectively on multiple tasks at once.