Stop Multitasking
For decades, “multitasking” has been considered part of being competent. This term, which appears to have never been used before 1960, is now prized by employers and boasted about by applicants. Careers have indeed been built on juggling multiple tasks, but research shows that the practice actually damages our ability to think clearly, focus deeply, and produce meaningful work. In reality, we perform at our best when we concentrate on one task at a time, completing it before moving on.
Our way of working has been upended by the computer. The typical office environment runs on speed, pressure and constant motion. The word we use to dignify the chaos, multitasking, is even borrowed from computing.
The default expectation for how humans should work became multiple screens, conversations and deadlines, all running at once, with the human serving as a central processing unit.
We may feel productive, but this constant, rapid mental toggling from task to task has made us error-prone and scatterbrained.
Does any of this feel familiar? Someone expects an answer to an e-mail at 2 a.m. because someone’s awake in Singapore. Productivity software keeps you connected to projects that never sleep. Smartphones have erased the last barrier between work and home life, with interruptions called “notifications” becoming your default setting.
Most people don’t think twice about the fact that they constantly check their e-mail, often responding within six seconds, then take another 64 seconds (on average) to get back to what they were doing. A heavy user could face 96 such interruptions across a workday, losing 1.5 valuable hours. Some get distracted in the interim and waste much more time than that.
University of California–Irvine researcher Gloria Mark found that full cognitive recovery after an interruption actually takes 23 minutes. Psychologist Sophie Leroy’s research explains why this happens: The brain doesn’t do multiple tasks simultaneously. In fact, it doesn’t even switch between tasks cleanly. Instead, it stays attached to the previous distraction, a phenomenon she calls attention residue.
Your inbox is not just a tool for productivity. It’s also a trap.
The consequences go beyond lost productivity: They involve how your brain operates.
A 2006 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the brain learns differently depending on whether you’re focused or distracted. When you’re focused, your brain uses the hippocampus to learn. This part of the brain stores information in a flexible way, allowing you to remember it, explain it to others, and apply it in new situations. When you’re distracted, your brain switches to a different system called the striatum. This system is built for habits and routines. It stores information in a rigid way, tied closely to the specific situation where you learned it.
Here’s the problem: If you learn something while checking your phone, that knowledge gets stored with that moment or that context. When you are in a different situation later on and need that fact, your brain can’t find it or use it.
This distracted behavior interrupts the focused attention necessary for memory and deep thinking throughout the workday, and it carries over into your home life. Messages are checked while doing chores, phones are present during family time, and loved ones don’t get your full attention. You may be busy everywhere, but you’re truly focused nowhere.
Like any addiction, those caught in this cycle may not realize its health effects. According to Brown University Health, these habits can temporarily raise stress levels and mental effort, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, chronic stress can lead to cerebrovascular disease and cognitive decline.
The brain can manage one automatic task with one demanding task, such as exercising while listening to a podcast. However, trying to complete two demanding tasks at the same time—such as replying to a complex e-mail during a meeting—requires the same mental resources. As a result, neither task receives your full attention, so you don’t perform at your best.
An interruption can be helpful if it relates directly to what you’re working on. For example, if you’re focused on a project and someone interrupts to discuss that exact task, many find it useful, as it can clarify their thinking and help make progress.
Research also shows that taking a break from a problem can aid in solving it. For instance, a computer programmer who is having trouble fixing part of his code might set it aside, then find that the solution comes to him later while working on something else. This type of task switching can sometimes be beneficial (Fastcompany.com).
But overall, it’s best to stop trying to do everything at once. Be ruthless in preventing outside interruptions. Stick to one project and work it to completion. This may feel slower at first, but the payoff is real: better output, fewer mistakes and less mental chaos. The science supports this.
Mastering the ability to block out distractions is a powerful skill that becomes even more important in the spiritual realm. In How to Be an Overcomer, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry cautions that making spiritual advancement means avoiding getting sidetracked by less important issues and wasting valuable time. Referring to Napoleon, he writes, “We must concentrate on the main body—the heart of the problem—and crush it!”
For Christians, this clarity is essential in decision-making and maintaining focus on the Kingdom of God. It helps to discard anything that hinders God’s will and to direct all effort toward serving His work.
To succeed in this pursuit, prioritize Jesus Christ’s perspective above all else. As He said, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30), reminding us that our strength alone is insufficient. Yet with God’s help, we can overcome; “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
This presents a profound opportunity. The spiritual victory achieved through unwavering focus and dedication will surpass even the greatest triumphs in this world, and it has eternal consequences.