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Sue McMillin

Organizing Consultant & Speaker

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sue@withtimetospare.com

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You are here: Home / Articles / The problem of chronic multitasking

May 8, 2013 by Sue McMillin

The problem of chronic multitasking

Throughout my career helping individuals and teams get organized, I’ve witnessed the disorder and chaos that comes from a professional trying to do way too much at the very same time.

This article from Priority Management’s monthly Learning Link Newsletter hits the critical problem of chronic multitasking on the head, no pun intended.

Enjoy, learn and make your professional life a little easier. 

Sue

~

DON’T MULTITASK: YOUR BRAIN WILL THANK YOU

by Issie Lapowsky

Chronic multitasking could be making you less productive. Why? Because your brain is on overload.”

AVOID JUGGLING

Chronic multitasking degrades mental focus, working memory, and the ability to switch among tasks. However, the ability to juggle work has become a standard job requirement.

Researchers have another name for this supposedly desirable skill, however: chronic multitasking.

If this sounds more like an affliction than a resumé booster, that’s because research has shown again and again that the human mind isn’t meant to multitask. Even worse, research shows that multitasking can have long-term harmful effects on brain function.

In a 2009 study, Stanford researcher Clifford Nass challenged 262 college students to complete experiments that involved switching among tasks, filtering irrelevant information, and using working memory. Nass and his colleagues expected that frequent multitaskers would outperform nonmultitaskers on at least some of these activities.

They found the opposite: Chronic multitaskers were abysmal at all three tasks. The scariest part: Only one of the experiments actually involved multitasking, signaling to Nass that even when they focus on a single activity, frequent multitaskers use their brains less effectively.

Multitasking is a weakness, not a strength. In 2010, a study by neuroscientists at the French medical research agency Inserm showed that when people focus on two tasks simultaneously, each side of the brain tackles a different task.

This suggests a two-task limit on what the human brain can handle. Taking on more tasks increases the likelihood of errors, so Nass suggests what he calls the 20-minute rule. Rather than switching tasks from minute to minute, dedicate a 20-minute chunk of time to a single task, then switch to the next one.

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His second tip: “Don’t be a sucker for email.” The average professional spends about 23 percent of the day emailing, studies show. Inspired by that statistic, Gloria Mark of the University of California, Irvine, and her colleague Stephen Voida infiltrated an office, cut 13 employees off from email for five days, strapped heart monitors to their chests, and tracked their computer use. Not surprisingly, the employees were less stressed when cut off from email. They focused on one task for longer periods of time and switched screens less often, thereby minimizing multitasking.

Filed Under: Articles, Organize Your Office

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Sue’s Story

I've been a professional organizer most of my adult life. Who I am and why I love my work comes from how I was raised and the mysteries of DNA!

From the most humble of beginnings in Kentucky to helping businesses and organizations across the U.S., I always try my best to share both practical and inspirational principles and techniques.

I hope you enjoy your visit here and come back often. And feel free to call or email anytime.

Even though you might reach me on my porch looking out at the Colorado Rockies, a born and bred Kentucky girl enjoys a good chat.

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