Multitasking is a thing, a progressive upwardly, exploding trend.  And that little smart phone next to you?  It lurks, ready to pounce on your productivity.  You may be a self-declared Multi-tasker or a staunch skeptic, in either case, multitasking impacts your life.

Popular Multitasking Myths

• MT is a viable choice
• MT increases productivity
• MT is good for your brain
• MT makes you more alert and observant

Multitasking Facts

• MT doesn’t technically exist, it’s actually “task” shifting. You can do one or possibly two things at once.  You can walk and talk, you can cook and listen to the radio, but you probably can’t add a column of figures, answer email and/or talk to your boss all at the same time.  So at best, it’s really about switching back and forth, and at worse, bouncing from task to task.
• MT actually lowers productivity (as much as 40%). If you open too many tabs on your desktop, POW your screen freezes or crashes.  Same with your brain: engage the right side and engage the left side with two complicated tasks, and you’re done. That third task can crash your already engaged brain.  (French study).
• MT increases your stress level, and distracts you both during and even after. (That fact brings many of our customers into our massage chairs, and we recommend our headsets)
• MT lowers the perceptions of your environs and limits your view.  You can literally miss seeing even obvious things.  In a recent campus experiment, 75% of college students failed to observe an unicyclist nearby while talking or texting on their phones.

Multitask for Good in Your LIfe

• For Self-Motivation. For low level tasks, like exercising or cleaning, listen to music or podcasts.
• Getting Unstuck. When focused on a project or deadline for too long and feel drained or stuck, take a break, switch tasks.  Revitalize your mind, refresh your creativity.  Simple repetitive tasks like knitting or gardening soothe the mind and body.
• Enjoying nature. Be present and really see, hear, smell and sense your natural environment and surroundings. Your reward will be energy, fresh observations and creative, new ideas.

Multitasking is valuable and is clearly important to our survival as a species. If our parents hadn’t been able to multitask, some of us might not be here  clinging to smart phones or anticipating self-driving cars!