The Myth of Monotasking and Multitasking
Let's dive into the idea of multitasking vs monotasking. We'll figure out which one is better when it comes to productivity. Join me as we dive into this topic!
Over the past year, I have delved into productivity topics in the hope of pursuing that ONE perfect productivity advice, suggestion, tip, hack, method…(and the list continues), and unfortunately, I kept coming across the opposite, often conflicting suggestions.
Multitasking kills. The myth of multitasking. Focus on single-tasking. The myth of monotasking… (again, the list continues)
The ideas on opposite ends of the spectrum leave us — readers — confused, puzzled, disheartened, and often defeated and even annoyed.
With suggestions so distant from each other, the decision lies with you.
Like two opposing magnets, there's always a small gap in between. Perhaps that gap is where the truth lies.
After conducting multiple research and reevaluations into multitasking and monotasking, I found myself repeatedly coming back to this article and then parking it up until I finally understood which approach was better. I finally decided that both approaches have their benefits and disadvantages.
Today's post will discuss the pros and cons of both multitasking and monotasking.
So, pour yourself a nice cup of freshly brewed black coffee ☕️ and sit back.
It’s going to get confusing.
🤹🏻♀️ Did you know that multitasking is actually a myth?
🔬 According to some research, our brain is simply incapable of focusing on multiple things at the same time. Stanford University neuroscientist Dr. Eyal Ophir has shown in his studies that trying to do more than one thing at once is not really possible.1
This means that multitasking is actually task-switching.
When you switch between tasks, your brain basically just shifts its focus between the different things you need to do. And the actual switching part is what uses up a lot of energy.
📖 As explained in the book titled Singletasking: “When your brain has to make the switch, your performance suffers, causing you to work less efficiently on the task you’re currently focused on.”2
When you try to do too many things at once, your brain struggles to handle all the incoming information. According to research, this affects both your short-term and long-term memory, making it harder for you to process and remember things.
💡So, it's better to focus on one task at a time instead of multitasking if you want to retain information effectively.
“Harvard study conducted in 2011, which examined the relationship between multitasking and academic performance, revealed that our cognitive functions, especially in our memory, become increasingly limited while multitasking.”3
There are three things you should know about multitasking:
✅ Multitasking isn't something our brains are built for from an evolutionary perspective.
✅ Multitasking can mess with your brain. When you multitask too much, you get overstimulated and stressed out, which can shrink the grey matter in your prefrontal cortex. That's the part of your brain that's responsible for complex thinking.
✅ When you multitask, your brain pumps out a stress hormone called cortisol. This hormone can make it harder to finish any of the tasks you're working on, and it can mess with the neurons in your brain.
In some day-to-day activities, it's possible to multitask by listening to Mr. Ballen’s podcast while doing daily chores, such as cleaning or washing dishes.
That, to me, is, in fact, performing 2+ tasks at the same time. And this is perfectly fine. It takes little concentration to perform routine house chores, and I don’t need to put extra effort into listening to podcasts covering dark and mysterious stories. One task is a chore, and the other is entertainment.
If I chose to write next week’s article whilst listening to the podcast, that’s an entirely different cup of tea. The article would end up as some gibberish, it’d probably end up incomplete, and I would probably not capture the full story from the podcast.
If I chose to work on house chores whilst coming up with ideas for a new article. This could work. Cleaning and house chores are mindless tasks, often welcomed brain breaks, and that’s often what the brain needs to develop fresh ideas. Blank space. Pause. Breathing time.
🤯 I am pretty undecided about which way to lean: 🤹🏻♀️ Multitasking or 🏀 Monotasking.
In the past, I’ve written about deep work, the power of focusing on one task at a time without interruptions. I still believe deep work is valuable in managing overbrim-spilling workloads.
Perhaps that made you think I am now gently leaning towards Monotasking. Is that so?
Not so fast. Maybe for a fracture of a minute. Perhaps.
Until I came across this article, The Myth of Monotasking. HBR interview with Cathy Davidson, Duke University professor and author of “Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn.”
This article blew up my conviction of the POSITIVE aspects of monotasking and the dark side of multitasking straight out of the bat.
At the start, the article explores all the different implications of a phenomenon called attention blindness. In the gist of it, focusing solely on one task can make you miss very important information, which can lead into often catastrophic consequences.
Some of you will be well aware of the (invisible) gorilla experiment, but you might now be aware of the airline pilot experiment that Davidson mentioned in the article, so I do recommend you check it out 👇.
So, what's the deal with multitasking and monotasking? Is one better than the other?
Let's recap what we know so far:
It turns out multitasking isn't really a thing. Our brains just switch between tasks really fast, which isn't great for us in the long run. And if we focus too much on just one thing, we might miss important info.
So, instead of trying to monotask all the time, it's better to focus on one thing for short periods and plan it out well. That way, we can get stuff done without hurting our brains too much.
Let's roll with this for now.
What can be done?
📖 Devora Zack, the author of the book "Singletasking," suggests a useful technique called "cluster tasking" or "task batching." This technique involves combining similar activities and tasks into a single group, which can help you work more efficiently and effectively.
To use the cluster tasking technique effectively, follow these simple steps:
1️⃣ Find tasks that are similar and group them together.
2️⃣ Decide how much time you want to spend on each group and complete the tasks within that timeframe.
Zach recommends adding some flexibility to your schedule to be more effective. Apparently, this technique is used by doctors all over the world.
Make sure you set aside two "free" 30-minute periods in your day for emergencies. Otherwise, you risk getting behind on your schedule.
And that makes a lot of sense.
If you add some extra time to your schedule, you won't have to worry about unplanned phone calls or sudden important events messing up your day. This way, you can focus better on one task at a time and get things done more efficiently.
If you choose monotasking, do it in small doses.
✅ Single-tasking is most effective when combined with regular breaks. The type and length of these breaks will depend on your work.
✅ Give your brain some time to calm down and replenish its energy.
So, basically, those two tips mentioned earlier are pretty straightforward and something we all tend to ignore. But, when someone close to us needs help, we remember these simple yet super-effective tips and share them with them. They might be basic, but they can make a world of difference.
So, you know how when a friend comes to you with a problem, you can offer them great advice and support, but when you're dealing with your own issues, it's not so easy? Well, it turns out that's because we're all subject to egocentric biases that can mess with our self-image and make it hard to change our behaviour.
Dr. Ethan Kross from the University of Michigan has talked about this phenomenon, and it's something to keep in mind when you're trying to deal with your own problems.
🔬A recent study by Harvard showed that people are happier when they concentrate on one thing at a time. And that’s, perhaps, the greatest benefit of single-tasking.
Conclusion – Final thoughts.
💡Instead of worrying about whether to multitask, we should just figure out which tasks are okay to do at the same time and which ones need all of our attention.
So, I gave you some research that backs up and opposes multitasking and monotasking. It’s the information I gathered when I researched and read up on multitasking and monotasking to help me decide which one to go for. I’ve also tried to include some actionable tips you can take away with you and apply to your workload.
I am currently on the fence and will continue completing house chores while listening to Mr Ballen’s podcast.
💬 I’m curious about your work style and your opinion.
Singletasking: Get More Done—One Thing at a Time by Devora Zack
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.