Multitasking: true performance or false productivity?

Do you multitask?

If you text your friends while watching your favorite TV series, the answer is yes.

If, at work, you're writing an important report while having a professional exchange with a colleague or answering the phone, the answer is yes.

And there are many more examples, since multitasking has become one of the hallmarks of our modern world. Over-connected, difficulty concentrating, ever-increasing workloads... What is the "why" of multitasking? And above all, how does it impact our daily lives, our psychology, and consequently our professional performance?

Take a few minutes to read our article, and find out all there is to know on the subject.

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Multitasking: definition

What is multitasking?

Although the term multitasking was originally used in the computer industry, to characterize certain operating systems, it increasingly refers to human behavior.

Today, multitasking is defined as carrying out several activities or tasks at the same time, in both the private and professional spheres.

Example: managing your e-mails while attending a business meeting.

But in reality, as we'll see later, the brain can only process one activity at a time. MRI experiments have shown that when performing several simple tasks, the brain is actually juggling between them.

So what we call multitasking is the action of constantly switching from one activity to another, thinking we're doing both at the same time.

☝️ It's important to stress that the development of multitasking goes hand in hand with the multiplication of technological and communication tools. Indeed, multitasking often includes different communication channels:

• direct conversation + e-mail,
• internet browsing + telephone, etc.

Why do we multitask?

Although it has always existed, the development of multitasking in recent years can be traced back to several factors:

• the anthropological factor: man has always sought novelty and stimuli, to counter boredom. Multiplying tasks and indulging in various diversions (consulting the telephone, for example) stimulates the brain and provides satisfaction.
  
• the technological factor: compared to our ancestors, we are more confronted with external stimuli, due to the multiplication of technological tools (emails, social networks, smartphones, etc.).
  
• the professional factor: the desire to do more, to perform better in a demanding professional environment in terms of productivity? There's a well-established belief that multi-tasking saves time.

☝️ This last point is very important, as many people believe that multitasking is a friend of productivity. Certain profiles (multitasking person, or multi-tasker) even boast of their ability to carry out several activities at the same time.

But the reality is quite different, and multitasking has many limitations.

The limits of multitasking

Reduced concentration and focus

It has been proven, notably by cognitive science, that our brains are not calibrated to do several things at once.

⚠️ As a result, information overload (known as " infobesity") :

• dilutes our attention for each of the activities to be carried out ;
• penalizes our concentration on the main task at hand.

Increased risk of errors

Multitasking makes it impossible to grasp inputs correctly, i.e. the information available during the information input phase. In other words, a multitasking individual reacts to a given situation more than he or she actually analyzes it.

⚠️ Consequence: the risk of errors and inconsistencies increases.

Impact on intellectual capacity

Several studies have led to the following conclusion: multitasking has a lasting effect on our mental capacities.

In fact, according to British psychologist Glenn Wilson, regular multitasking causes a 10-point loss in IQ!

Waste of time

Continuous work takes less time and energy than work carried out in several stages.

Loi de Carlson

We've seen that multitasking is mainly about switching quickly from one activity to another. This practice, known as switching, actually wastes time.

Our brains need a certain amount of time to fully concentrate on the new task at hand. According to an American study by the University of California, this adaptation time can be as much as 23 minutes!

⚠️ It's easy to imagine the time lost :

• alternating from one activity to another,
• fully immersing oneself in a new occupation.

Degradation of social and professional relationships

Are you dealing with your e-mails in the middle of a business meeting?

Are you rushing to answer the phone in the middle of a formal exchange with one of your colleagues?

⚠️ We'll let you imagine the image such behavior conveys to the person hosting the meeting, or to your interlocutor in general...

Procrastination

People who multitask often find it difficult to tackle lengthy activities.

⚠️ As a result, they have an annoying tendency to procrastinate, i.e. to put things off until tomorrow.

Difficulty processing information

The attention problems associated with multitasking mean that people are less receptive to certain types of information.

⚠️ For example, multi-taskers are more inclined to process visual stimuli (e.g. infographics), whereas they have difficulty reading an article in its entirety, for example.

Greater stress

According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, multitasking leads to the release of stress hormones.

Overwork and over-solicitation of our brains have been shown to be one of the causes of burnout. Contrary to popular belief, concentrating on a single task is less tiring on the brain.

How to avoid multitasking at work?

Practice "intelligent" multitasking

As you can see, multitasking is not recommended.

There is, however, one situation in which multitasking is less problematic: if one or more activities require little concentration, they can be " automated".

It is, for example, perfectly possible to listen to a podcast at the same time as work requiring little concentration (typing, for example).

Avoid distractions

It sounds obvious, but when you're tackling a professional task, keep away from all sources of distraction:

• switch off your smartphone and disconnect from social networks;
• don't get lost on the web when you're doing research, and focus your efforts on a specific objective;
• set aside a time when you can't be reached on the phone, for example, to finish an important file, etc.

Organize your working time more effectively

Here are a few tips:

• The aim is not to stop checking your e-mails or making those important phone calls. Rather, you need to set aside time for this, and plan it into your working day, so that you can stay focused on each of your activities at the right moment.
  
• Also consider using certain work methodologies, such as the Pomodoro method. In a nutshell, this time-organization technique requires you to take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes of work, to recharge your batteries and stay focused on your main task.
  
• Multitasking can sometimes reflect difficulties in concentrating on time-consuming tasks. In this case, it's best to carry out your work in the morning, before external demands increase and fatigue sets in.

Look for other sources of satisfaction

We know that the quest for stimuli is one of the factors encouraging multitasking.

That's why we encourage you to look for other sources of contentment in the working environment, such as the sense of satisfaction linked to a job well done and completed.

💡 It's been proven that making to-do lists, on paper or using software like Trello, is rich in psychological benefits. Crossing off a completed task gives you a sense of accomplishment. Be careful, however, to only include tasks that can be completed in a relatively short time (a large task will then be broken down into sub-tasks), so as not to feel frustrated if you don't finish.

Meditate

Finally, multitasking and focusing difficulties often go hand in hand.

As a result, practicing meditation, and more generally focusing on our breathing, helps our mind to refocus on the main mission when we're at work.

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Multitasking and corporate responsibility

In the final analysis, multitasking is a false friend which, under the guise of getting more work done, has the opposite effect.

However, if multitasking is a matter of individual work habits, it's also up to the company to become aware of the problem, with the aim of implementing good practices. Accepting, for example, that one cannot be disturbed (by chat, telephone, etc.) at certain times of the day is part of the new habits to adopt, to offer each employee a breeding ground for concentration... and therefore performance!