Are you a multitasker? While many believe that multitasking makes them more productive, multitasking may actually impair efficiency and even hurt brain health. Multitasking can take place when someone tries to perform two tasks simultaneously, switch .

Understanding the Context

from one task to another, or perform two or more tasks in rapid succession. To determine the costs of this kind of mental "juggling," psychologists conduct task-switching experiments. When we think we’re multitasking, most often we aren’t really doing two things at once, but instead, individual actions in rapid succession. Multitasking, or trying to perform two or more activities at the same time, is taxing on the brain and affects the brain in many ways, but there are ways to reduce your multitasking.

Key Insights

Human multitasking A person simultaneously making use of a laptop and mobile phone Human multitasking is the concept that one can split their attention on more than one task or activity at the same time, such as speaking on the phone while driving a car. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of multitasking, and how it affects and improves your productivity and work performance. If multitasking is so inefficient, why do people continue to do it—and often feel productive while doing so? Psychology offers an answer: multitasking creates an illusion of efficiency. Because the brain is constantly active and switching between tasks, people feel busy and engaged.

Final Thoughts

However, this sense of productivity is misleading. Multitasking in learning is becoming more popular with the rise of audiobooks and podcasts. Many people listen to audiobooks or educational podcasts while exercising, commuting, or doing chores. This can be a great way to make use of time when you're physically engaged in something that doesn’t require much mental effort.