Can I Learn to Be Better at Multitasking?

It’s time to nail this myth once and for all—the scientific fact is that your brain is simply not wired for multitasking.

We make the mistake of thinking that our gray matter is like a computer—but try as we may, our conscious thinking powers cannot be split along separate paths in the way that a computer can run multiple programs simultaneously.

It takes between a few milliseconds to several minutes for the brain to fully orientate to a new task, depending on the task’s complexity. When we dart like a butterfly between tasks, the vast majority of us end up not doing any of them well—we make more mistakes and become less able to remember new things. By continually switching focus—and maybe buzzing on stress-induced adrenaline—we can be blind to how unproductive we’re being. Here’s the kicker: those who think they’re experts at multitasking are actually the worst at it, thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect.

To work with, not against, your brain, prioritize tasks so you know what needs to get done first, cut those email notifications, and avoid starting a job until you’ve prepared what you need to complete it.

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juggling tasks

Over the course of a day, people who tackle tasks one by one are more than a third more productive than multitaskers.