5 reasons to stop multitasking now

Are you doing Multitasking or you are just making more mistakes?

When we say we are doing multitasking, we are not doing multiple things together. We are just doing one thing at a time and the switching from one thing to another in real sense. Our brain has finite capacity for attention and being productive. It just cannot handle multiple things at same time. Only some of the activities like walking, chewing gum, listening to music, etc. are some of the things which you can do while working on a project report. But, remember, you just cannot recall which song you played last and which is going on, if you are totally engrossed in some work. If you move from 1 work item to another, you are just wasting time and not able to complete either of them. The best case would be to complete one and then come to another task.

Are you making mistakes while doing multiple things together?

Task switching is the main reason behind the productivity loss if one is multitasking. There is an estimated loss of 40% of the productivity, if we are switching from one important task to another since our brain is mostly dealing with the switchover and it can spend lesser time on the current task at hand. Another angle to it is the errors or mistakes we introduce while we do this kind of multitasking and task switching. And it becomes worse if the tasks involve critical thinking and analysis.

You just increase the mistakes you make if you exceed number of tasks doing simultaneously from 2. Yes, two. This is the finding of a research institute in Europe.

Multitasking makes you fast and efficient – It’s a myth. It makes you slow

I used to believe the same that multitasking will reduce the total time of getting multiple things done. Until I read the study of University, I also believed in the same. The truth is totally opposite. It just increases the time it takes to complete the activities. If you have 3 things in your hand and you keep on jumping between all 3 one by one, you are just going to take lot longer if you would have done the things one at a time. It is true for seemingly simple to do things like driving. If you chat and drive, it will take you longer to reach destination under same conditions.

The best case is to group similar things together. Pay all your bills together. Reply to your email all together. Reply to the phone calls all together. Create a presentation set all together. It will be faster and efficient as well. It will save mistakes from happening. Check it and see it.

Multitasking is ruining your person life and your relations

“This is an area where I think multitasking has a much bigger effect than most people realize,” says Winch. “A couple is having a serious talk and the wife says ‘Oh, let me just check this message.’ Then the husband gets mad, and then he decides to check his messages, and communication just shuts down.”

One recent study from the University of Essex even shows that just having a cell phone nearby during personal conversations—even if neither of you are using it—can cause friction and trust issues. “Do your relationship a favor and pay your partner some exclusive attention for 10 minutes,” says Winch. “It can make a big difference.”

It can cause you to lose your memory – It can suffer too

Well, doing two things together is important and necessary part of today’s life. But, according to a recent study in 2011, if we do two things together and switch between tasks, it will make us lose out on important details of either one of the tasks. If we stop one of the task and start another one, this changeover of focus is enough to hamper the short term memory. This becomes even harder as the person grow old to get back on track once there is a distraction or change of focus.