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Bad News for Multitaskers
By Richard Nantel | May 30, 2007
Increasingly, work in the knowledge economy consists of slicing eight- to 10-hour days into tiny 10-minute segments allocated to a huge number of tasks. We work for a few minutes on one item, sort and respond to a couple of e-mails, take a phone call, work for another 10 minutes on the next task, and repeat the process over and over again.
We pride ourselves on our high level of productivity. Unfortunately, this turbo multitasking does not result in smarter workers.
As scientists continue to make significant progress in understanding how the human brain learns, one fact that is becoming evident is that neural benefits occur through sustained focus on a difficult task. While a person may learn when his or her attention is divided, divided attention doesn’t lead to positive, long-term improvement in neurological functions or abilities.
To make significant improvements to our brains, we need the luxury of time allocated exclusively to one challenging task. The state in which the most significant improvements occur is when you completely lose track of time and are immersed in something.
To achieve this state, you’ll need to close your e-mail, unplug your phone, turn off the radio, and ignore your growing to-do list. You’ll also need to re-order your priorities: choosing to do less in exchange for becoming smarter and better at what you do.
There’s an interesting article about this on the ScienceDaily site: “Multi-tasking Adversely Affects Brain’s Learning, UCLA Psychologists Report.”
Topics: Brain, Brain plasticity, Learning, Neuroplasticity |
August 21st, 2008 at 3:52 pm
[...] type of workday is unproductive and demoralizing. In addition, research indicates it’s bad for brain health. A better solution is to schedule replying to e-mail for specific times of the day, be disciplined [...]