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Stop Multitasking

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Doing It All Gets Nothing Done

This week’s blog is a blog about something that doesn’t exist. It is a blog about myth. A blog about nothing, in the tradition of Seinfeld. A blog about multitasking.

Multitasking is something that cannot be done. We cannot do two things at the same time. Duh. We only have one brain. Even people with multiple personalities.

Multitasking is the art of distracting yourself from two things you’d rather not be doing by doing them simultaneously. For example, I’m writing this blog while thinking about a radio program I am doing on KCBQ Thursday evening with San Diego’s PR pro and radio talk-show queen, Gayle Falkenthal. And at the same time, thoughts of my jammed patient schedule are floating through my mind, and what about the e-mails that keep popping up on my iPhone, and trying to watch the U.S. Open tennis match on the TV in front of me? No, I’m not driving at the moment, but who doesn’t multitask even when carpooling?

That’s why I like Urban Dictionary’s definition of multitasking: “A nice way to say that you’re doing many different things at the same time. And since no one can divide by zero, that means you’re doing many different things half-a***d.”

Research at Vanderbilt University by psychologist Rene Marois, Ph.D. demonstrates neurological evidence that the brain cannot do two things at once. Additional research shows that people are much slower when switching between tasks than they are when repeating the same task. Even when given more time between tasks, people are not as efficient when task-switching as when task-repeating. Our brains can adjust to new tasks, but the old task still competes for our mental energy with the new task.

Like the MacBook Pro on which I’m writing now, I have several screens open at once, but my brain is only able to think about one screen at a time. I do switch back and forth between screens, e-mails I am answering, looking at the research all over my desk I am using for this blog, writing a sentence or two before going back to ... wait — I’m answering the phone now ... getting back to that text message that just came in.

So it is with texting while driving. Are you insane? No, you cannot concentrate on the cars around you while texting. To do two things at once is to do neither. When I recently saw a waitress at a restaurant texting while serving food at the table next to me, I thought I saw it all. I hadn’t. Patients in therapy sessions are now texting their friends — or calling in a lifeline for help.

If you are in traffic, focused on typing away on your cell phone, and someone cuts you off, you have to switch to thinking about slamming on those brakes. Here’s where your brain being slowed down is not a good thing. You’ve seen the disasters that can happen. A mere half-second of time lost to task switching can mean the difference between life and death for a driver using a cell phone, because during the time that the car is not totally under control, it can travel far enough to crash into obstacles the driver might otherwise have avoided.

It’s simple brain functioning that prevents you from doing two things simultaneously, not a moral decision by some politicians decreeing rules that make life difficult for us.

Our brains must decide to focus on a task other than the one we’re currently focused on, requiring us to turn off the “rules” for one task and turn on the “rules” for the other. Moving from one focus to the other, activating different “rules,” takes up about 40 percent of your productive time. "I want to do this now instead of that" and I'm turning off the rules for that and turning on the rules for this." This takes time. And that’s where our productivity diminishes. It only looks like you are being efficient. You’re not.

Multitasking isn’t efficient — it’s not even possible — and it surely doesn’t get work done faster. You can see now, understanding a bit about brain functioning, how one task actually interferes with the other, so it all will take longer. You lose time, accuracy and energy. Your brain is simply jerking from one task to the next despite thinking that you can effectively talk on the phone while intelligently answering e-mail, surfing the net, and of course, post all that you’re doing to Twitter or Facebook.

Multitasking has become a necessary skill of modern life, but we need to acknowledge the challenges and adapt accordingly. Several strategies can help, such as striving to stay on one task longer, and avoiding task switching whenever possible.

Experts suggest taking control over your tech toys. Turn off ringers, vibrate mode, chimes and the like. Do you really need to know your cell phone is ringing now? No, you don’t.

Instead, set a time for you to check your e-mail, voicemail and phone messages several times a day. Ah, doesn’t it feel more peaceful already?

Finally, when your multitasking involves people, focus — really focus — on what the person is saying, how he or she is saying it, and listen. Attempting to listen to what someone is saying while attending to something else costs you 53 percent of success in listening. It’s a little too “psychobabble” for me to say it, but I will: Stay “in the present.” Losing productive time or efficiencies with techno gadgets is one thing. But losing quality work or personal relationships over attempting to do the impossible — multitasking — is another.

Here’s, perhaps, the real dirt on multitasking. A survey of more than 2,000 people found 75 percent said they text, blog and surf the Web while on the toilet. While 18 percent admitted to getting cramps or pins-and-needles feelings from sitting on the toilet for a long period of time, 65 percent did not know they could get hemorrhoids or other rectal problems from doing so, published in IrishHealth.com. Yet another reason to avoid the multitasking. Number one, then number two, not at the same time.

Henry Ford was correct when he said, “A weakness of all human beings is trying to do too many things at once.” We have more technology, more knowledge, more glitz, and more tech possessions. But at what price? I think all the books written, and bought, on relaxation and stress reduction answer that question.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Mantell has successfully been bringing upbeat, friendly and helpful psychological insights to individuals, families and businesses in San Diego as a clinical and corporate psychologist in private practice. He's been a regular on Good Morning America, KFMB-TV News 8, has appeared on Oprah, Larry King Live, the Today show, authored two best-selling books and speaks regularly for audiences throughout the country. He can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/michael.mantell and Twitter at DrSanDiego.

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