The Truth About Multitasking

Multitasking is often praised as a valuable skill in today’s fast-paced world, but is it really helping us get more done? Many people juggle multiple tasks daily, believing it boosts productivity, but the way our brains handle multiple demands reveals a different story.

Understanding the true effects of multitasking can help you work smarter, reduce stress, and improve focus. Let’s explore what multitasking really means and why it’s time to rethink how we manage our attention.

If you constantly find yourself juggling multiple tasks, yet falling further and further behind, it might be time to consider an AI personal assistant to handle the small jobs that eat away at your day, giving you more free time to focus on what truly matters.

What Is Multitasking?

Multitasking is the act of trying to manage more than one task at the same time or rapidly switching between tasks. It often involves juggling responsibilities such as answering emails during meetings or cooking dinner while helping with homework.

While it can feel productive, multitasking actually divides your attention and can reduce how effectively each task is completed.

The brain isn’t truly performing two complex tasks at once; it’s rapidly shifting focus between them. This constant context switching uses extra mental energy and can lead to more mistakes, forgotten details, and slower progress.

At some time or another, everyone feels pressured to complete numerous jobs at once, but understanding how multitasking works can help you find better ways to manage your time and attention.

Why We Try To Multitask

People often multitask because modern life demands it, or so it seems. We’re surrounded by alerts, deadlines, and overlapping responsibilities that compete for our time.

Whether it’s work, parenting, or household chores, it’s easy to feel like doing several things at once is the only way to keep up. Social expectations and digital tools also encourage constant availability, leading to the belief that multitasking is both necessary and efficient.

For some, it even provides a temporary sense of control or achievement, but the truth is that multitasking can overwhelm the brain and backfire over time, making tasks feel more difficult and mentally exhausting than they need to be.

How the Brain Handles Multiple Tasks

The brain isn’t built to perform two demanding tasks at once; it’s designed to focus on one at a time.

When we try to multitask, the brain engages in a process called “task switching,” rapidly shifting attention from one activity to another. This switch involves the brain’s executive control system, primarily located in the prefrontal cortex.

Each time we change focus, the brain must pause, redirect, and reorient, which takes time and mental energy. The more we switch, the more effort it takes to stay organized and avoid errors.

Instead of processing tasks simultaneously, the brain queues them in a sequence, even if it feels like we're doing them all at once.

Role of Executive Control

Executive control is the brain’s internal manager, responsible for planning, decision-making, and switching attention. It helps you prioritize tasks, suppress distractions, and shift gears when necessary.

When you try to multitask, executive control jumps in to manage those transitions. However, this system has limits.

Each switch takes time and uses up cognitive resources, leading to mental fatigue. Frequent multitasking can overwhelm this control system, slowing you down and increasing the chance of mistakes.

Supporting executive control through focused work and mindful scheduling can make a big difference in how efficiently you manage your day.

Task Switch Costs

Task switch costs refer to the time and mental effort required to shift from one activity to another. Even short switches, such as checking a text during a work task, can disrupt your focus and increase the time it takes to complete both tasks.

These costs aren’t just measured in minutes; they also include lost momentum, reduced accuracy, and cognitive weariness. The brain needs to pause, discard one task’s details, and load the next—every single time.

Frequent switching adds up quickly and can make simple tasks feel harder. Understanding task switch costs can help you make smarter decisions about how and when to shift your attention.

Effects of Shifting Attention

Shifting attention from one task to another may seem harmless, but it comes with hidden cognitive costs. Each time we redirect our focus, the brain must pause, reset, and refocus. These processes use up mental energy and reduce efficiency.

Over time, this constant switching can impair memory, increase error rates, and make even simple tasks feel more stressful. While it may feel like you’re getting more done, frequent attention shifts usually slow you down and reduce overall effectiveness.

Impact on Working Memory

Working memory is your brain’s ability to temporarily hold and process information, such as remembering a phone number while dialing or keeping track of steps in a recipe.

When you switch between tasks, this system becomes overloaded. The brain has to clear out one set of details to make room for the next, which can lead to forgetting key information. This is why you might walk into a room and forget why you’re there.

Protecting your working memory means minimizing task switches and focusing fully on one task at a time.

Rise in Error Rates

Frequent attention switching increases the likelihood of making mistakes. That’s because every time you shift focus, the brain must reorient itself to new rules, goals, and information. This creates more opportunities for details to slip through the cracks.

For example, sending an email while reviewing a spreadsheet may result in a typo or a missed data point. Accuracy on complex tasks can be reduced by as much as 50%. Reducing switches allows the brain to stay focused and deliver more precise and reliable results.

Common Myths About Multitasking

Multitasking is often seen as a valuable skill, but many of the beliefs surrounding it simply aren’t true. These myths can lead to habits that feel productive but actually reduce efficiency, increase stress, and compromise quality.

#1. Multitasking Boosts Productivity

Many people assume multitasking helps them get more done in less time, but the opposite is usually true. Switching between tasks repeatedly slows you down, increases errors, and drains mental energy.

The brain performs best when it can focus on one task at a time. Trying to do too much at once leads to surface-level results and missed details, especially with complex or important work. Single-tasking often results in faster, higher-quality outcomes overall.

#2. Multitasking Is Necessary

It can feel like multitasking is the only way to keep up with modern life, but that’s a misconception. While the demands on our time are real, trying to do everything at once often makes us feel more overwhelmed, not less.

With smart planning and tools that support better task management, it’s possible to stay on top of responsibilities without constant switching. Choosing to focus on one thing at a time often leads to better clarity, performance, and peace of mind.

#3. Some People Are Naturally Good at Multitasking

There’s a common belief that some people, especially high performers, are simply wired for multitasking. In reality, very few people can manage multiple tasks without a drop in performance.

What may seem like natural multitasking is usually just fast task switching, which still comes with mental costs. Even people who appear to juggle well often perform better when they focus on one task at a time. Multitasking is a challenge for all brains, not just some.

Why Single Tasking Wins

Single-tasking, or focusing on one task at a time, allows your brain to work more efficiently and with greater accuracy.

Without the cognitive load of switching, you can fully engage with what you're doing, leading to deeper concentration, fewer mistakes, and better retention of information.

This focused approach helps preserve mental energy and reduces stress, especially when handling complex or high-priority tasks.

Over time, single-tasking can actually improve your ability to plan, prioritize, and complete tasks more quickly. It also promotes a greater sense of satisfaction, since you're more likely to finish what you start and do it well.

Tips To Reduce Task Switching

Reducing task switching doesn’t mean doing less; it means working smarter. By organizing your time and grouping related tasks, you can stay more focused, reduce mental fatigue, and get more done with less stress.

Use Time Blocking

Time blocking is a scheduling method that assigns specific blocks of time to specific tasks or types of work.

Instead of jumping from one thing to another throughout the day, you focus on one activity during each time block, such as replying to emails from 9 to 9:30 a.m. or preparing meals between 5 and 6 p.m.

This method reduces interruptions and helps you stay mentally engaged with the task at hand. It also builds a rhythm into your day, making it easier to stay on track and avoid decision fatigue.

Batch Related Work

Batching involves grouping similar tasks and doing them consecutively instead of scattering them throughout the day. For example, handling all your errands in one trip or responding to messages in one sitting allows your brain to stay in the same “mode,” improving speed and accuracy.

When you batch tasks, you reduce the need to constantly shift mental gears. This strategy is especially helpful for recurring activities such as admin work, household chores, or planning.

Batching creates momentum and helps you complete tasks more efficiently with less mental strain.

How an AI Personal Assistant Can Help

AI personal assistants are powerful tools for reducing the strain of multitasking. Rather than juggling multiple responsibilities at once, you can offload repetitive or time-consuming tasks to a digital assistant that helps manage your day more efficiently.

These tools can handle everything from setting reminders and organizing calendars to making grocery lists, tracking deadlines, and even helping with communication. By taking over routine tasks, they free up mental space, allowing you to focus on what matters most.

This reduces decision fatigue, improves productivity, and helps prevent tasks from slipping through the cracks. The result is a smoother, more organized daily routine that doesn’t rely on constant task switching.

O from Ohai.ai is a friendly, AI-powered personal assistant designed specifically to lighten your mental load. O can help manage your household by syncing school calendars, planning meals, organizing family schedules, creating grocery lists, and sending them straight to Instacart.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, you can rely on O to handle the details so you can stay focused and present throughout your day.

Break Free From the Multitasking Trap

Trying to do everything at once can leave you feeling overwhelmed and scattered. Breaking free from the multitasking trap means embracing focused, intentional work that respects how your brain truly functions.

By prioritizing tasks and minimizing constant switching, you improve your efficiency, reduce stress, and produce higher-quality results.

Learning to slow down and concentrate on one thing at a time isn’t a step back; it’s a smart strategy for lasting success in today’s busy world. It’s time to reclaim your focus and rethink multitasking.

Tired of trying to do it all every day? Let O from Ohai.ai lighten your load. O can scan emails, manage your calendar, plan a weekly menu, and even coordinate get-togethers. Give O a go today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it good to be multitasking?

Multitasking may feel productive, but it often leads to reduced focus, increased errors, and mental fatigue. While multitasking is sometimes necessary, single-tasking typically supports better performance, improved memory, and less stress over time.

What are multitasking skills?

Multitasking skills refer to your ability to switch between tasks, manage competing demands, and stay organized under pressure. They involve time management, adaptability, and focus, but true efficiency comes from handling tasks sequentially, not simultaneously.

Are humans capable of multitasking?

Humans aren’t wired to truly multitask. Instead, we rapidly switch between tasks, which can drain mental energy and reduce accuracy. The brain handles one cognitive task at a time, so multitasking often feels efficient but rarely delivers better results.

How do I professionally say I can multitask?

Instead of saying “I am skilled at multitasking,” try: “I prioritize tasks effectively and stay focused under pressure,” or “I manage multiple responsibilities efficiently without losing attention to detail.” These phrases better reflect real, productive working habits.