Multitasking

Trying to do multiple tasks at the same time, like writing an essay while also checking social media and listening to a podcast. It might feel like you’re being super productive juggling so much, but in reality, our brains aren’t great at true multitasking when it comes to complex tasks. What we actually do is task-switching – rapidly shifting focus from one thing to another – and that constant switching can make each task take longer and be done less accurately. For example, if you study while texting, you’ll likely have to re-read material because your attention was flipping back and forth. The upshot: doing one thing at a time (single-tasking) usually beats multitasking for efficiency and quality. So, next time you study, try shutting off those extra tabs (both on your computer and in your mind) to give full attention to one task.
Keywords: multitasking, task switching, single tasking