Elle Tries...Quitting Multitasking
Goooood evening! Coming to ya a day late because I got a little sick and started a new job recently, which set me back several days! I’m feeling much better now, and have mostly moved past the jangly nerves that come with a new role. Hope you’re all well too! One of the things that got me through the last couple weeks has been seeing little buds and fresh leaves on trees - so excited to see glimmers of spring!
Losing my attention sp- what was I saying?
Recently I had a day full of little chores and projects - the kind that require just enough attention that your mind can’t wander, and are also very boring and time sensitive. I spent an entire day multitasking; I was switching Chrome tabs and responding to Slack messages on a loop. I felt highly alert, but the tug for immediacy and responsiveness kept me in a shallow stream of thought. Every new project I introduced to my multitasking spiral chipped a little more away from my cognition.
As the day stretched on, I became so bored with my thoughts. They were fleeting and at the same time persistent, the same little wisps of thought racing around in neverending spirals. By the end of the day, I was too scattered to read, write well, or hold a meaningful conversation. My tasks were mostly done, but I felt mentally depleted, like I couldn’t absorb or generate anything because my attention was flitting around and looking for more stimulus to respond to.
Turns out there’s no such thing as multitasking
Bad news first: when we think we’re multitasking, we’re actually doing something called “context switching.” This means that we’re just rapidly switching back and forth between different tasks, which is highly inefficient.
The bad gets worse, lol - there’s a barrage of evidence that conscious processes need to be done one at a time. Harold Pashler, professor of psychology at UCSD, found that when people do two cognitive tasks at once, the drop in their cognitive capacity is similar to the difference between a Harvard MBA and an 8 year old.
Another study done at the University of London found that constant emailing and text messaging reduced participants’ mental capability by an average of 10 points on an IQ test (I think IQ tests have been sort of debunked as an accurate tool, but I feel the point still stands).
A third study I came across showed that people who multitask using multiple devices simultaneously have lower gray matter density in a certain region of the brain. RIP brain cells, I can’t count (because I’m dumber now?? 😆) how many times I’ve scrolled on my phone while watching TV.
As I read this information, I reflected on how multitasking seems particularly affiliated with women. I remember hearing growing up that women are better at multitasking than men, evoking the image of a mom on the phone organizing doctor appointments or social visits, packing school lunches, doing housework, and in all likelihood doing a 9-5 too. Moms can do it all, right? Or if you’re not a mom, but you are a woman, perhaps you’ve been asked to organize or take notes at meetings, because you should be able to participate and record!
The reality is that women aren’t actually good at multitasking; it harms their cognitive performance too. These kinds of myths need to be called out and debunked so they don’t perpetuate gender gaps in our culture.
Enforcing a new habit is hard…but happening
I’m becoming aware of all the times I “multitask” throughout the day and it’s more than I would’ve hoped! Last week I answered a phone call and simultaneously looked at Instagram. I ate lunch and wrote an email, while a recorded zoom meeting was playing in the background. The urge to be connected in all ways at all times is powerful, but not irresistible!
I’m putting my phone out of sight while I’m working, pausing Slack while I’m on Zoom, and trying to compartmentalize my projects so I can just focus on one at a time. There’s such a clear difference, I don’t think I’d need to see all the research to believe how much multitasking was undermining me. I’m clearly getting my work done faster. My resting heart rate is coming down. I’m even able to eat more nourishing breakfasts and lunches (before I couldn’t stomach much in the first half of the day, because my flitting attention made me too nervous to digest well).
The allure of “doing it all” at the same time still calls to me, but it’s fading from a scream to a whisper. I find it harder to resist when I’m stressed, because having eyes on all things gives me the illusion of being in control and on top of things, but day by day I’m strengthening my new habits!
Am I the only one who’s been multitasking, or does this resonate with you? I work remotely, so it’s not always clear how conventional or not my daily habits are. Maybe you were already doing conscious tasks consecutively, but if not, we can tread this new path together!
Til next week,
Elle