Multitasking Is Killing Your Work

While many pride themselves on their multitasking abilities, research overwhelmingly demonstrates that multitasking kills your productivity and focus..

For today's busy professionals, multitasking is an unspoken expectation in the workplace. And even when focus is encouraged, it can be difficult to ignore the constant notifications crossing our screens. While many pride themselves on their multitasking abilities, research overwhelmingly demonstrates that multitasking kills your productivity and focus.

It Harms Our Brain

Our brains (much to our dismay!) are not unlimited resources. Not only do you lose up to 40% of your daily productivity to the mental gymnastics of task switching, but you also train your brain to be chronically distracted and unable to focus. And thus perpetuates the vicious cycle... Yikes!

It also reduces your brain’s level of gray matter. Gray matter is correlated with controlling your emotions, motivations, and cognitive ability. Multitasking can damage a part of your brain that is key to maintaining productivity- the exact goal you had in the first place!

Leads to Stress and Burnout

Because multitasking decreases your productivity, it's easy to leave the workday feeling frazzled with many things unfinished. Those moments will continue to compound, leading to unbearable stress that feels endless. Also, your brain interprets short bursts of stimuli as stress responses, so attempting to multitask for extended periods will make you feel more stress and symptoms of burnout than focusing on one task. Not exactly the optimal work situation.

Decreases Quality of Work

Here's another unfortunate truth of task switching: Multitaskers make more mistakes than their counterparts who prioritize deep focus. Not only that, a multitasking employee is much less efficient than their colleague who works on one task at a time. Although you may feel more productive because tasks are finished more quickly, your work’s accuracy and quality will suffer.

You Lose Track of What's a Priority

For some, jumping from meeting to meeting may feel like a lot is getting done. The reality is that by switching from one mindset to another that quickly, you lose the ability to give any meeting or project your fullest capacity. If you don’t allow yourself to focus on the most critical tasks, you can lose sight of what assignments need to be worked on and completed.

Creativity Is Thrown Out The Window

Often inherent to great creative work is the ability to focus. The mental exhaustion of multitasking — whether physically felt or not — directly hinders you from doing your best and most creative work. Because creativity requires deep concentration, the fatigue from multitasking can make thinking outside the box simply unattainable.

A crucial step to recovering from chronic multitasking is developing a laser-focused and clearly delineated schedule. Perhaps that looks like removing some projects and tasks. Marketing is time-consuming and can be a lot to take on. Contact De Novo Digital to take over your digital marketing needs so you can focus on your business with fewer interruptions and prioritize your mental health.

Weekly newsletter

No spam. Just the latest releases and tips, interesting articles, and exclusive interviews in your inbox every week.

From the Blog

View all blogs

INSIGHTS

How Can Website Taxonomy Help Enhance User Experience?

On average, 38% of visitors leave a site if they find it hard to navigate. Your website's structure can either ease the finding of information or make it harder...

INSIGHTS

Best Time to Post on Instagram for the Highest Engagement

To build an engaged, sizable Instagram following, you need to create compelling content that your audience actually wants. But if you don't post your content at the right time, they'll never get to see it...

Insights

Leveraging Microsoft Ads (and Why SEO and Advertising on Bing Matter)

When crafting a digital marketing strategy, utilizing PPC is an essential part of the marketing funnel. Google Search Ads are a great way to create brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and reach your target audience.

Insights

How to Improve Your Small Business’s Online Presence

Building a business takes work. From onboarding new hires to finding the right tools to manage your day-to-day, there are plenty of things to worry about just to keep the lights on.

3 Ways to Use Semrush for Keyword Research

At Novo Digital Agency, our worldwide teams comprising strategic advisors, technical experts, and thought leaders actively contribute to shaping the technology industry.

Essential Shopify SEO Tips for 2022

At Novo Digital Agency, our worldwide teams comprising strategic advisors, technical experts, and thought leaders actively contribute to shaping the technology industry.

A Guide to Understand Advocacy Marketing & Its Importance

At Novo Digital Agency, our worldwide teams comprising strategic advisors, technical experts, and thought leaders actively contribute to shaping the technology industry.

How A/B testing can strengthen your email campaigns

Email campaigns are a central pillar of modern digital marketing. The numbers don’t lie. 59% of users say emails Email campaigns are a central pillar of modern digital marketing. The numbers don’t lie. 59% of users say emails

Ultimate guide to creating detailed buyer personas