The pressure to perform well and always be at the top of one’s game, whether in a competitive college course, a modern office, or the rat race among students, leads to the tendency of multitasking. Even though it seems like multitasking can help accomplish more work, it ultimately results in lower quality outcomes, as focusing on one project produces a better result than completing tasks with a fleeting bout of concentration and anxiety to finish within a shorter amount of time. Multitasking is not a solution, and it decreases productivity by an estimated 40%.
Link: https://www.softude.com/blog/40-productivity-gets-lost-multitasking-avoid
Multitasking takes three forms: juggling two tasks simultaneously, jumping from one task to another without completing the first, and rapidly jumping from one project to another. Each of these tendencies can negatively affect one’s ability to exercise their full capacity. Only about 2% of the world’s population is proficient in multitasking, and those who think they can multitask efficiently are often the worst at it.
Most people who multitask follow the third tendency, rapidly jumping from one task to another, with minimal breaks between. This results in brief mental blocks that hamper work productivity by up to 40% of one’s usable time. Multitasking looks time-saving and efficient, but it costs more time and reduces the quality of the end-product.
The reasons for multitasking include being part of the corporate rat race, meeting deadlines, and the prospect of getting a gold star at the end. Other causes that lead people to multitask are being approach-oriented or focused on results, seeking high-sensation and thrills, believing that they are part of the 2%, or having major concentration trouble.
It is crucial to identify and segregate complex tasks at the beginning of the day, dividing tasks according to difficulty level and assigning a certain time of the day to work on them. Any complex or unfamiliar task results in more switching times lost while multitasking. Separating a certain time for new and difficult tasks saves brainpower and productive time.
It is essential to use multitasking abilities with familiar tasks. Indulging in multitasking tendencies with repetitive tasks that do not result in the loss of much switching time or brainpower can help deter multitasking tendencies in complex tasks.
Understanding how multitasking hampers productivity by an estimated 40% can help nullify the negative effects of multitasking. While it is impossible to let go of multitasking in the daily grind, awareness of its negative effects and the strategic division of labor can reduce the tendency to multitask, increase productivity, and improve the quality of outcomes.
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