With all of the technology, added demands and busier lifestyles, multitasking has become a part of normal, every day activities. People multitask at home, at work and even when they are relaxing or trying to unwind. However, the research shows that multitasking is not only a waste of time but is also potentially harmful for the brain. Multitasking will harm a person’s home life, their rest periods and also their productivity at work.
Multitasking Is Harmful for the Brain
The fact of the matter is the brain was created to focus on just one thing at a time. When someone tries to multitask they are not actually completing many tasks simultaneously. A person who is multitasking continuously swaps their focus back and forth between the various things they are “accomplishing”. It is not as beneficial as it may seem. Not only is the focus being constantly interrupted, multitasking does not allow the brain to use its full intelligence on each task.
Multitasking Is Counter-Productive
The reason for multitasking is to complete a lot of things in a short amount of time. However, this often backfires. While multitasking may get things accomplished, the quality of the tasks diminishes. Because the brain has difficulty focusing on rotating tasks, the work suffers. It is easier to lose a train of thought. Social scientists from Stanford University did three separate tests to discover if multitasking was helpful or hurtful for brain and the individual’s work. In the final study the researchers performed the findings showed that while the individuals moved on to other tasks their minds could not stop thinking about the previous task they had been working on. The goal is to maximize the time available and accomplish everything on the to-do list, but it negatively affects the quality of work. The individual’s hands move on to the next task the brain is still lingering on the last one. It isn’t a healthy process for the brain.
Multitasking Increases Stress
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. When things are going badly or life seems overwhelming, Cortisol is usually elevated in a person’s body. In a perfect world, people would strive to decrease their Cortisol in order to enjoy life to the fullest. While situations may be constantly changing and new trials pop up every day, it is possible to deal with the interruptions without increasing the Cortisol inside the body. However, multitasking negatively affects the body by increasing the Cortisol hormone. When the brain is forced to switch back and forth between tasks, it affects the entire body and makes it feel overworked and tired. It increases stress in life and makes it difficult to feel mentally refreshed. With the increased amount of Cortisol, it can be difficult to calm your brain and relax your body.
Multitasking During Relaxation
As if it were not difficult enough to cease the multitasking in the workplace, it often follows people home as well. After a long day’s work of trying to get things done and multitasking to make sure every work detail was finished, the stress of it will appear when it is really time to rest. After staring at a screen during the day and maybe even after returning home, the images will continue to play across the recesses of the brain when it should be shutting off to sleep. If individuals can resist the urge to multitask, they can look forward to a more restful night’s sleep and a more energetic brain in the morning.
Why Individuals Should Stop Multitasking
As discussed earlier, multitasking greatly decreases the quality of the work that is done. When the brain cannot focus on the small details, mistakes are made. It can negatively affect a person’s career because instead of appearing confident and fully capable, they appear disorganized and their thoughts may seem jumbled. If someone is managing their time well by focusing on one task at a time, the work will be more professional and cohesive. The benefits far outweigh the costs in this scenario. The new studies that have been done on the effects of multitasking have also showed that the cognitive damage may be irreversible and may actually lower a person’s IQ.
How People Can Reduce the Need to Multitask
The struggle people face with abandoning the multitasking nature inside of them is that there are still the same amount of things to be done and still only 24 hours in the day. However, as the studies have shown, it would actually be easier to complete all of the tasks in the same amount of time if there is one thing to focus on at a time. The brain is able to more fully develop ideas and thoughts around one subject rather than four at the same time. There will always be the constant internal barrage of things that need to be accomplished next, which is where having a list comes in handy. As one task is being completed and the brain begins to wander and think about other things that need to be accomplished, write them down. If the task is written down, it can be focused on later. There is no need to constantly maintain a mental checklist. With all of the technology readily available there are applications that will keep lists synched to other devices. That way if there is something that needs to be done in another location, it will send a reminder when the individual is ready to move on. It will greatly decrease the need to multitask and will allow the brain to focus on one thing at a time until everything is accomplished.
Another helpful tip is to set a schedule and stick to it. Have specific times of the day that are for checking email, texts, phone calls or social media. Resist the desire to have the notifications constantly beeping and distracting the brain from the task at hand. Disengage the alerts and notification banners and only check the things that are necessary during the timetable that was set earlier.