Hyderabad: In an age of endless tabs, notifications and deadlines, multitasking has become a badge of honour. Most people believe that doing more at once means getting more done.
But research and increasing real-world evidence suggest the opposite. Constantly switching between tasks may make us less efficient, more distracted and mentally exhausted.
Experts now say that the brain’s love for multitasking is a myth, one that’s quietly undermining productivity, memory, and well-being.
What multitasking really is
The brain can’t truly perform two demanding tasks at the same time. What it does instead is rapid task-switching, moving attention back and forth in milliseconds.
Each switch comes with a cost in focus and time.
“The human brain wasn’t designed to parallel-process complex actions,” explained Dr Shweta Balan, a neuroscientist, speaking to NewsMeter.
“When we think we’re multitasking, we’re actually shifting attention repeatedly. Every shift drains a small portion of cognitive energy.”
Routine physical tasks, like walking and talking, can coexist. But pairing two mentally demanding activities, such as replying to emails while attending a meeting, inevitably reduces accuracy and recall.
The illusion of productivity
In office cultures and digital environments, multitasking is often mistaken for efficiency. Checking Slack while drafting reports or juggling calls while driving feels productive, but measurable output tells another story.
“Frequent task-switching can reduce productivity by up to 40 per cent,” notes Venkat Krishnan, a behavioural economist who studies workplace attention patterns. “Each time you switch, your brain needs to refocus, and that reorientation takes several seconds. Over a workday, it adds up to hours of lost concentration.”
This phenomenon, known as “attention residue,” occurs when fragments of one task linger in the mind even as we start another. The brain remains partially occupied, lowering the quality of both.
Memory takes a quiet hit
One of the less visible costs of multitasking is its effect on short-term and working memory. The constant redirection of focus disrupts the brain’s ability to consolidate new information.
“When your attention is split, the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, doesn’t register information effectively,” explains Dr Balan. “This is why people often forget names, instructions, or details after toggling between apps or conversations.”
In educational settings, this means students who study while browsing social media may retain less, even if they spend more time ‘studying.’ The same applies to professionals; reading reports while responding to messages reduces comprehension, not just recall.
Mental fatigue and stress
Multitasking also raises cognitive load, the total amount of mental effort being used at a given time. Over time, this can lead to decision fatigue, irritability and burnout.
“Every unfinished thought adds background noise,” says Dr Neha Kapoor, a clinical psychologist. “The brain perceives multiple open tasks as unresolved, keeping the stress response active. That’s why even after a day of ‘doing everything,’ people feel unaccomplished and anxious.”
Prolonged multitasking has been associated with higher cortisol levels, poorer sleep, and reduced ability to stay present, symptoms now common in high-intensity work environments.
The myth of the ‘good multitasker’
Some people claim they thrive on juggling several things at once. However, longitudinal studies suggest that frequent multitaskers may actually have lower sustained attention spans over time.
“What feels like mastery is often habituation to distraction,” explains Krishnan. “People who multitask constantly develop a tolerance for partial attention. They become uncomfortable with monotasking, which ironically makes deep work harder.”
Interestingly, research shows that even heavy media multitaskers, those who constantly toggle between devices, perform worse on tests of focus and filtering irrelevant information.
Digital overload and divided attention
Phones, social media, and workplace chat tools have made multitasking near-unavoidable. A single device now handles communication, entertainment, navigation, and work. The average person switches between apps dozens of times an hour, fragmenting attention into tiny intervals.
“We underestimate how much micro-distraction harms cognitive rhythm,” says Dr Kapoor. “Each notification or vibration acts like a mini-reset button for the brain, pushing us back to shallow focus.”
Digital environments also create an illusion of urgency, making every ping feel like a task that must be addressed immediately. Over time, this reactive mode replaces reflective thinking.
Relearning single-tasking
The good news is that focus can be retrained. Cognitive therapists and workplace coaches recommend reintroducing monotasking, giving full attention to one thing at a time.
1. Time-blocking
Set aside uninterrupted chunks of time (say, 45–60 minutes) for single tasks. Silence notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and physically note down pending items to revisit later.
2. Mindful transitions
Pause for 10–20 seconds between tasks to reset attention. It helps clear mental residue before switching contexts.
3. Task batching
Group similar tasks, like answering emails or returning calls, instead of responding in real time. This reduces cognitive switching costs.
“Attention works like a muscle,” says Dr Balan. “When you train it with focused intervals and deliberate breaks, concentration improves noticeably within weeks.”
Why monotasking supports mental health
Focusing on one task at a time activates slower, more deliberate neural pathways associated with calmness and satisfaction. Multitasking, in contrast, keeps the brain in a semi-alert state.
“People often confuse busyness with meaning,” observes Dr Kapoor. “When you do one thing mindfully, writing, cooking, or even cleaning, it produces a sense of flow. That flow is the opposite of the anxious restlessness created by multitasking.”
Monotasking also supports emotional regulation. Completing one task fully provides a measurable sense of accomplishment, reducing the nagging guilt of half-finished work.
The takeaway
Multitasking feels modern, but it’s quietly costing us attention, memory, and peace of mind. While technology encourages constant switching, the human brain remains wired for sequential focus.
Learning to slow down, to read, write, or listen without interruption, isn’t regression; it’s recovery. Productivity isn’t about doing more at once. It’s about doing one thing well, with clarity and calm.
As Dr Balan sums up: “Efficiency comes from focus, not fragmentation. The future of high performance is not multitasking, it’s mindful attention.”
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