What is multitasking?

Multitasking is the simultaneous performance of more than one activity. Multitasking entails handling
different tasks, shifting attention from one activity to another or performing two or more activities in
quick succession. Here are some examples of multitasking in various industries:
Speaking on the phone while gesturing at someone
Taking several customer orders in a restaurant
Checking all the vital signs in a patient
Talking to customers over the phone while entering data into the computer system
Working on a presentation while discussing work-related tasks
While it is an essential skill in the workplace, multitasking can be counterproductive, especially when
some tasks take longer or produce undesired results. Even so, multitasking is a learnable skill that
professionals can get better at with time and constant practice.
What is multitasking research?
Multitasking research refers to studies conducted by researchers aiming to understand how the demand to
accomplish simultaneous tasks affects the human brain. Multitasking research has moved apace with the
increasing demand for multitaskers in the workplace.
The proliferation of technology has made work easier but has also increased distractions. This has piqued
the interests of researchers such as psychologists interested in understanding how the human brain works
in relation to such distractions.
What are the pros of multitasking?
Here are the advantages of multitasking:
Saves time
Multitasking can save you time by allowing you to combine separate tasks. For instance, you may type
minutes while still sitting in the meeting instead of taking handwritten notes and typing a final copy later
on. Doing separate tasks one at a time can lengthen the completion time of tasks and projects.
Multitasking may shorten the time to completion and enable you to create more time for other things.
Saves money
Multitasking can help you save money in several ways. By doing several tasks simultaneously, you can
eliminate the rationale of hiring someone to do the extra tasks. Oftentimes, having employees who can
multitask reduces organizational costs in salaries and other employee benefits. For instance, if an
employee is outstanding at customer service and operating equipment, they can handle the front office
desk by answering customer concerns and operating the switchboard.
Increases productivity
Multitasking can improve productivity. If an organization has several employees who can effectively
multitask, they are likely to get more done than those who cannot. This approach to work could lessen the
time required for tasks and projects.
Employees who are better at multitasking may also be productive at home, allowing them to accomplish
chores faster and get time to rest after a long day at work. The ability to do this may improve
professionals' stress levels and enable them to produce high-quality results when they return to work the
next day.
Prevents procrastination
Multitasking may allow you to achieve more on your to-do list and waste less time. For employees who
prepare a daily to-do list, multitasking enables them to cross more tasks off the list, which is also a strong
motivator. Multitasking can also keep you active, allowing you to avoid distractions as your mind is busy
with other activities.
Increases brain power
Just like the body needs exercise, the brain, too, requires constant engagement. Multitasking is one way of
keeping your brain active and boosting your brainpower. Multitasking challenges the brain continuously
which can develop your mental stamina.
As you practice multitasking, the brain becomes more efficient in handling simultaneous tasks. This is
why multitasking is a learnable skill for anyone, regardless of your current proficiency.
Works through distractions
Technology has made some work easier but has also introduced plenty of distractions. For instance, you
may need to read and respond to official emails in the morning and update company social media
accounts. While doing so, you may also face distractions from notifications on your phone.
Multitasking skills allow you to juggle between the two tasks despite the distractions. Being able to work
through distractions is an important skill given the frequent distractions professionals face at work.
Allows for steady work progress
Multitasking allows tasks, projects and assignments to progress towards completion however slow the
progress might be. In most cases, a slow rate of progress is better than a stalled task. This is important in
tasks with a shared deadline or in projects that require concurrent or consecutive task completion before
moving to the next stage.
Develops resilience
Regular multitasking may lead to constant pressure to get things done. Working in a demanding
environment improves your resilience and ability to handle challenging situations. If you're used to such
environments, you may become better at handling stress and increase your perseverance limits.
Increases employability
Multitasking can increase your employability as most employers would prefer to hire someone who can
accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. Showcasing your multitasking skills in your resume, such as
how you have used the skill in an actual situation, might increase your appeal to a recruiter. Having
excellent multitasking skills may even allow you to maintain your position during company restructuring.
Fosters better work-life balance
Employees who are better at multitasking are more likely to attain work-life balance. This is because they
can complete their work on time, eliminating the need to work overtime or carry some work home. These
professionals are also likely to multitask at home, allowing themselves more time to spend time with their
family, take a rest and re-energize.
What are the cons of multitasking?
Here are some cons of multitasking:
Inefficient use of time during switching
Switching between tasks can lead to inefficient use of time. Although switch costs may be relatively
small, they can cumulatively lead to significant amounts of time when people switch repeatedly between
tasks.
A study by Rogers and Monsell (1990) concluded that people were still slower on task-switch than on
task-repeat trials, even when given more time to prepare or engage in predictable tasks. Thus,
multitasking may seem efficient, but may actually take more time in the end and can cause potential
errors.
Mental blocks
The human brain focuses most effectively on a single task at a time. Heavy multitasking may also lead to
mental blocks, which can cost a significant amount of someone's productive time. Researchers at
Vanderbilt University concluded that a neural network of the frontal lobe of the human brain inhibits
information processing, severely limiting humans' ability to multitask.
Memory function
Multitasking can affect your brain's ability to retain information. One effect of multitasking is the
overstimulation of brain function. By having to process too much information, the brain may not be able
to differentiate what is important and what is less important.
Further, multitasking may blur the line between tasks that are urgent and those not urgent. The attempt to
accomplish several tasks at once may lead to priority tasks subjected to longer queues along with less
urgent activities.
Mental health effects
Multitasking can affect the mental health of multitaskers by causing anxiety and stress. By attempting to
accomplish two or more tasks, professionals may experience anxiety about whether they're successful.
Constant multitasking may lead to cycles of anxiety and stress, which can affect productivity in the long
run.
Creative inhibition
People who multitask often have limited time to think of new ideas, such as how to tackle a task. Serial
multitaskers are constantly oscillating from one task to another and as a study by the Harvard Business
Review shows, such people exhibited significantly lower creative abilities than those who focused on a
single activity for longer.
Ability to collaborate
Multitaskers' desire to accomplish tasks on their to-do list can significantly affect how they relate to
others in the workplace. People who multitask are less likely to help a colleague at work in anticipation of
losing track of their own tasks.
Multitaskers may also be less likely to engage in non-core activities at work or take a break between work
sessions, hence affecting how they relate with coworkers. As professionals work to develop multitasking
skills, they must also pay attention to maintaining their interpersonal skills.
Are there other health effects of multitasking?
Multitasking temporarily increases stress levels which raises blood pressure and heart rate. Multitasking
is also associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. These effects can be temporary, but
chronically increased blood pressure and stress can have permanent effects on the brain by increasing risk
for cerebrovascular disease and cognitive impairment.
How can you minimize the effects of multitasking?
The only time you can truly multitask is if one of the tasks is fully automated, like walking on the
treadmill. It’s okay to read a book and walk on the treadmill or fold laundry while watching television.
But you should minimize “bad multitasking” to limit the risks to your brain and mood. Bad multitasking
is trying to complete two tasks that require your attention at the same time, such as reading your email
while attending a zoom meeting.
Are the effects of multitasking short-term or long-term?
The effects of multitasking are likely short-term, but there are no definitive studies to answer that
question fully. One correlational study showed that individuals who are high media multitaskers have
smaller brain volumes in an area of the brain known as the cingulate cortex, which is important for
regulating emotions and behavior. However, it is unclear if multitasking causes permanent brain changes
or if people with smaller volumes in this brain region are more likely to be drawn to multitasking.
5 strategies to reduce your multitasking:
Avoid switching between tasks. Work on one task for a set time for about 20 minutes, and then switch to
another task.
Schedule a time of day to check your email rather than checking it throughout the day.
Limit distractions. Turn off email alerts or phone alerts while engaging in a task. Find a quiet place to
work with limited interruptions.
Declutter your workspace. Visual clutter is distracting to your brain.
Practice mindfulness, which means paying attention to what you are doing in the moment. This may help
you catch yourself multitasking so that you can avoid it.

Myth 1: Humans can multitask

As nice as it would be to do two things at once, studies show the human brain simply isn’t capable of
paying full attention to more than one thing. In fact, our brain has evolved to single-task, or only
think about one thing at a time.
When we think we’re multitasking, we’re actually switching between two tasks really quickly. Any
time you switch between two things there is a switch cost. In addition to making more errors,
individuals almost always take longer to complete two tasks simultaneously.
 Myth 2: Multitasking isn’t that bad
Even if you’ve heard that multitasking is a myth, it’s hard to conceptually grasp how taxing it is to
task switch. If you’ve been multitasking for a while, you may feel like you’ve developed
multitasking ability. You probably don’t even notice the negative effects anymore, since they’re part
of your day to day.
If you feel like you’re capable of multitasking, you’re not alone. A study found that our perceived
ability to multitask had little correlation to whether or not we were actually multitasking effectively.
We think we’re adeptly at juggling multiple tasks, even if that isn’t quite the case.

Myth 3: Multitasking increases productivity

If you’re doing two things at once—even if those things aren’t perfectly optimized—aren’t you
getting more done?
In fact, it’s the opposite. Research done by Dr. David Meyer and Dr. Joshua Rubinstein showed that
even these brief mental blocks that happen as a result of context switching cost as much as 40% of
someone’s productive time. Because it takes mental effort to switch between cognitive tasks,
multitasking affects your ability to get work done efficiently and effectively.

Myth 4: There are different types of multitasking

You may have heard people say there are two, or sometimes three, different types of multitasking.
They’ll separate task switching from context switching and from attention residue. But these aren’t
different types of multitasking—they’re the cause-and-effect elements that lead to ineffective
multitasking.
Here’s how they break down:
 Multitasking is the attempt to do two or more things simultaneously.
 Context switching (otherwise known as task switching or switch tasks) is what you’re doing while
multitasking: switching between one task and another.
 As a result of performing so many tasks so quickly, you experience attention residue, which is when
you’re still thinking about a previous task even though you’ve moved onto another piece of work.

Myth 5: Multitasking at work is ok

Even if you avoid multitasking in your personal life, you may find yourself multitasking at work. If
so, you’re not alone. According to our research, the average knowledge worker switches between 10
apps up to 25 times per day. Additionally, over one-quarter (27%) of workers say that actions and
messages are missed when switching apps and 26% say app overload makes individuals less
efficient.
There’s even a name for switching between two technologies: media multitasking. In addition to the
usual downsides of multitasking, media multitasking has also been shown to negatively impact long-
term memory and working memory.

The impact: Burnout and overwork

Multitasking isn’t just bad for your productivity—it’s also bad for your mental health. According to our
research, seven in ten knowledge workers (71%) experienced burnout at least once in the last year. But
burnout and multitasking go hand in hand. In the same survey, we found that two- thirds (65%) of people
who feel uncomfortable not having access to their phones report experiencing burnout, compared to 45%
of people who aren’t uncomfortable being separated from their device.
Inability to Manage Time

In modern life, the inability to manage time is a frequent complaint. We are busier than ever before, with
more tasks to accomplish, yet we achieve little. Multitasking often leads to diminished productivity, and
our embrace of technology has not helped, leaving us perpetual underachievers and dissatisfied.

The Prophet Muhammad (sa) as a Model

For Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) serves as a source of inspiration and guidance. He had a multi-
dimensional personality and excelled in various roles, performing each duty perfectly. His life offers
valuable insights into effective time management.

Insights from the Prophet’s Life

The Prophet (sa) spent quality time with his family, being a devoted husband and father, fully involved in
domestic affairs. He was also a dedicated companion and mentor to his friends. His exceptional
performance in military, legal, political, and spiritual roles showcases his ability to handle diverse
responsibilities effectively.

Focus and Dedication

A key example of the Prophet’s focus is seen in his approach to prayer. Ayesha (rta) narrates, "The
Messenger of Allah talked to us and we talked to him. However, he was as if he had not recognized us,
when it was time for prayer, and he turned to Allah with his all existence." This illustrates his complete
involvement in each task, contributing to his effective management of family and other matters.
Conversational Skills

The Prophet (sa) spoke with gravity, precision, balance, and wisdom. He was an attentive listener, fully
involved in conversations, which helped build a close-knit and bonded community. His manner of
conversing played a significant role in uniting his companions and followers.

Uni-Tasking: The Prophetic Method

The Prophet’s method of uni-tasking—performing one task at a time with complete focus—led to deep
satisfaction and contentment. This approach, rooted in the Sunnah, offers Muslims a powerful strategy for
achieving their goals with a sense of fulfillment.