MULTITASKING: The Myth
How many times have you felt proud of yourself for juggling multiple things at once? Writing emails while sitting in a meeting, cooking while sending voice notes, working on a presentation while replying to messages… In our culture, multitasking often feels like a badge of honor. A superpower, even.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: multitasking isn’t really a thing. At least, not in the way we think it is.
Our brains simply aren’t designed to process two complex tasks simultaneously. What we can do is switch—very quickly—from one task to the other. This might give the illusion of doing things in parallel, but in reality, we’re constantly stopping and restarting.
And that restart has a cost.
The hidden cost of switching
Every time you move from one task to another, your brain needs to do two things:
Remember where you left off on the first task.
Refocus your thinking on the new one.
This little pause might feel invisible, but it adds up. Psychologists call it the switching cost. The more times you interrupt yourself, the more time you waste just reorienting your mind. Instead of getting more done, you’re actually slowing yourself down.
The problem of “attention residue”
If that weren’t enough, switching tasks leaves behind something else: attention residue.
Business professor Sophie Leroy coined this term back in 2009, when she found that attention doesn’t move cleanly from one task to another. Instead, it sticks—like molasses—to whatever you were working on before.
So even though you’ve turned to a new task, part of your mind is still lingering on the last one. Did I phrase that email correctly? Did I remember to attach the file? Did I put enough salt in the sauce?
This residue is especially strong if you haven’t finished the first task before moving on. But even when you do, a trace of divided attention remains. The result? You’re never fully present with what’s in front of you.
Why single-tasking wins
The paradox is clear: multitasking feels like a strength, but it quietly drains both productivity and energy. Switching costs pile up. Residue clutters your mind. And at the end of the day, you’re left wondering why you feel exhausted yet strangely unaccomplished.
What works much better is to give your full attention to one thing at a time. I know it’s easier said than done—we’re constantly surrounded by distractions. But the difference it makes is huge.
One simple practice I often use is creating a short, realistic list for the day with only the three most important tasks. Instead of jumping between them, I commit to finishing the first one completely before moving to the next. For example, if I’m writing an article, I close my email, silence my phone, and only allow myself to check messages once the draft is done. Then, and only then, I move on to the next task.
It sounds small, but the feeling afterwards is very different: instead of having five half-finished things on my mind, I can look back and see real progress. And that sense of clarity is far more energizing than the illusion of multitasking.
So let’s summarize it:
Finish what you started before moving on.
Work on tasks one after the other.
Allow yourself to be fully absorbed in just one thing.
Next time you catch yourself juggling, pause. Ask yourself: What’s the one thing I want to finish right now? Then give it your full attention. You’ll be surprised at how much lighter and more productive your day feels.
Want to dive deeper into building focus? Check out my blog on productivity.
Wishing you much success and all the best,
Claudia 🥰