Multitasking is not as great as you may think. In fact, it can even be harmful. In a quick tips episode of the Powerful Marketing Tips podcast, Mari-Liis Vaher explains the 4 main reasons why multitasking is bad for you. Find the episode transcript below.
Some people proudly say that they are great multitaskers. And although they say it as if it were a great skill, hearing this always makes me very cautious. Because multitasking is not as beneficial as people believe it is. In fact, I would even say that it is harmful which is why in today’s episode I will give you 4 simple reasons why you should stop multitasking immediately.
We live in a world where everybody is competing for your attention and focus. You always feel out of time, maybe even stressed and overwhelmed and you just wish you had MORE time to complete all the tasks in your to-do list with ease and calmness.
However, this peaceful time never seems to arrive. There’s always something new and unexpected that you have to deal with. So, you think, I can do a couple of things at the same time: I can attend the meeting and read my emails at the same time, right? Or I can write a blog post and check my social media and chat with my friends at the same time - it’s no big deal. Right?!
Actually, no.
Multitasking will most likely lead to you forgetting about important things or struggling to get the most important things done properly. This causes you not to deliver the results you would like to. And this in turn, makes you feel nervous, and constantly tired at work and at home, and you feel like you have to make too many decisions ALL THE TIME.
And as you multitask -- you do many things all at once. But the quality of their results are lower than you were hoping for. So, let’s see how it affects you based on research.
- Reason number one why multitasking is bad for you is that it stresses your brain, because your brain isn’t designed for multitasking! Your brain wants to focus and complete one task at a time, so by switching from one task to another you will actually LOSE TIME! Because different tasks will take more time to get done.
- Reason number two why you need to stop multitasking is that because different tasks take more time as you have to re-focus every time you jump in and out of the topic, it causes you to miss your deadlines. You are not able to get all the things done on schedule and this causes your stress levels to rise.
- Reason number three for you to stop multitasking is very serious - according to research, multitasking damages your short-term memory, and it can even damage your permanent memory as well!
- Reason number four why multitasking is bad is because multitasking causes you to think and act out of a lack of time, this means that tasks that require all the more problem-solving will be all the harder to solve. You simply cannot tap into your creativity without focusing.
So, although you tempt yourself into multitasking by saying to yourself that you will get more done, you will actually be LESS PRODUCTIVE! And this causes you to feel stressed and anxious every day.
The bottom line is that our brains are simply not wired for multitasking, so it’s time to stop.
And if you ask what the remedy for multitasking is then the answer is simple… FOCUS. And you can set aside time for focusing by planning your tasks and time.