The Myth of Multitasking
It’s Monday morning, 9am. You have 26 unread emails, a meeting with a client at 10am, a report due before midday and to top it off your coworker is asking you for help on a project they’re working on. While you may think you’re capable of juggling numerous tasks at once, research says otherwise. According to neuroscientists, your brain – although capable – isn’t designed to do more than one thing at a time.
The act of multitasking – performing more than two tasks simultaneously or switching between tasks – actually results in time wastage and more errors in your work. Why is this?
In the past, researchers assumed that people who are self-described multitaskers must have better self-control over their thoughts and what they pay attention to. But new research has found that the brain just can’t do it.
A study from Stanford University found that multitasking is far less productive than singletasking – doing one thing at a time. The study found that self-described heavy multitaskers can’t pay attention, recall information or switch from one job to another as well as those who are singletaskers or light multitaskers. The human brain only has a limited amount of attentional resources to draw from, meaning that it is actually impossible to perform two or more tasks simultaneously as effectively as one.
Multitasking is Doing More Harm than Good
Are you a multitasker? Researchers from Stanford University compared groups of people based on their tendency to multitask and belief that it helps their performance. They found that self-described multitaskers were actually worse at multitasking than those who prefer to do one thing at a time.
Whenever we switch between tasks, we are effectively rewarding our brains for breaking concentration. “Multitasking creates a dopamine-addiction feedback loop, rewarding the brain for losing focus and constantly searching for stimulation,” says neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. Each time we multitask – such as checking emails or browsing the internet – we are training our brains to be easily distracted. Our brains can get addicted to the dopamine rush we get from switching tasks and when this happens, it’s often difficult to break the cycle.
When we multitask, we are actually 40% less efficient, 92% more stressed, and we damage our brains in ways that negatively affect our well-being, mental performance and productivity. Multitaskers have trouble organising their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information. One study from the University of London even found that when you multitask, you experience a drop in your IQ levels that are similar to what you’d expect if you stay up all night or smoke marijuana.
Long story short, multitasking is a myth – and a bad habit that you need to break.
The Solution: Deep Work
So, what exactly is ‘deep work’?
The term ‘deep work’ refers to a state of deep intense concentration for a long period of time in a distraction-free environment. It is basically the opposite of multitasking.
The term was coined by Cal Newport, associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, who wrote the book on the subject. This bestselling book argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the modern workplace, and that habits like multitasking stand in the way of doing truly valuable work.
While Newport says that deep work is the key to securing a competitive advantage in the workplace, he also argues that deep work brings greater satisfaction and happiness, as you are able to accomplish much more challenging and worthwhile tasks. In fact, just as multitasking is a myth, it is actually impossible for your brain to solve complex problems or produce value, if it is constantly switching between tasks.
- Deep Work: “Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.” – Cal Newport
- Shallow Work: “non-cognitive, logistical or minor duties performed in a state of distraction”. Low value tasks like using social media, checking emails, messages, and scanning websites.
- Context Switching: The way your brain stores information so that it can be restored and resumed at a later point. The human brain releases stress hormones if you do this too often, causing us to feel tired and perform less efficiently.
- Attention Residue: Attention becomes split when we have multiple tasks on our plate, reducing performance even after we have already switched between them.
- Cognitive Fitness: Your brains alertness, ability reason, remember, adapt, and focus without distraction. This can be improved by ‘exercising’ your brain with puzzles, maintaining emotional wellbeing, eating nutritious food, staying physically active, and getting adequate sleep.
- Depth/Deep Work Philosophy: Your personal approach for getting into the Deep Work headspace. Every person is different, so there are four different deep work philosophies that you can try depending on the task you are doing, your stage of life, or your learning/work style.
Deep work is not a new concept, it is a reminder of how humans are supposed to work. It is a call for you to reconsider the value of your time a digitally distracted era.
The Four Deep Work Philosophies
Your Deep Work philosophy will likely look vastly different than that of another employee depending on your learning/work style, the task you are performing and even your stage of life.
There are four types of depth philosophies, which you can freely move between depending on individual context. The trick is to try one, monitor yourself, and adjust accordingly.
1. Monastic
The Monastic philosophy “attempts to maximise deep efforts by eliminating or radically minimizing shallow obligations”. In this strategy, you remove all distractions or non-relevant tasks, and put all your focus into deep work. Success is measured by doing one high-value thing exceptionally well. With this philosophy, you would need to delegate those non-essential ‘shallow work’ obligations like checking your emails or doing paperwork to someone else. Scientists and authors are the ones who benefit from this strategy the most.
2. Bimodal
The Bimodal philosophy “asks that you divide your time, dedicating some clearly defined stretches to deep pursuits and leaving the rest open to everything else”. With this technique, you split your time, on an annual, monthly, or weekly basis, into ‘deep work’ and ‘shallow work’. For example, spend the middle days of the week in deep work like a monastic, and leave Mondays and Fridays for everything else. Acclaimed psychologist Carl Jung is an example of the Bimodal strategy, dividing his time between uninterrupted focus in the country and a busy lifestyle in the city.
3. Rhythmic
The Rhythmic philosophy “argues that the easiest way to consistently start deep work sessions is to transform them into a simple regular habit. This means that you divide your day into deep work and shallow work, depending on what time of the day you work the best. For example, many people feel that they work best in the mornings while their energy is still high, and their brain is not so easily distracted. The afternoon you can leave for shallow work like emails and reports. This is probably the best option for most people and works well with the reality of human nature and the demands of the modern workplace.
4. Journalistic
The Journalistic philosophy aims to “fit deep work wherever you can into your schedule”. This means that you practice deep work only sporadically, when your schedule allows for it. For example, if you finish something early or a meeting is cancelled expectedly. This is not for a deep work novice – in order to train your brain to achieve deep focus, it is best to set up a regular schedule, like in the Rhythmic philosophy.
How can I practice Deep Work?
1. Set up your work space
Having a dedicated work space is probably the most important aspect to the deep work practice. Ever wondered why so many authors go on monastery-like solo retreats to a cabin in the woods? Treat your workspace like a cabin in the woods by choosing an isolated location that is distraction free and conducive to love periods of focus.
That doesn’t mean you literally have to hike out of civilisation – just keep your work environment clean and uncluttered, invest in a good pair of noise cancelling headphones, and queue a focus-enhancing music playlist – like classical music or Binaural beats (in frequencies of 14 to 30 Hz) – which have both been scientifically linked to reduced stress, improved concentration and alertness, and enhanced problem solving abilities.
2. Eliminate distractions
Eliminating distractions includes all distractions not relevant to the task at hand – background noise, a cluttered workspace, other people, irrelevant tasks, social media, emails, phone, messages, and meetings. This might be tough – because your brain is likely addicted to the ‘hit’ of feel-good chemicals get when you receive a new message or look at some new image or piece of information online.
Allow your brain to rest by scheduling specific times (for example, at the beginning and end of the day, or only once every second day) to check your messages and emails, and by scheduling your social media posts in advance. Your brain becomes stressed when under constant stimulation. Embrace boredom, allow yourself time to breathe, and let your mind wander and create for itself.
3. Define your limits
Manage your time precisely. Set a clear structure around exactly how long you will dedicate to ‘deep work’, and how long to ‘shallow work’. Decide exactly how ‘deep’ your session will be. Will you switch off your phone for every deep work session, or just put it on silent? Can you leave your chair to stretch your legs and get a snack, or will you prepare your snack ahead of time and keep it at your desk? How much do you want to achieve, and how will you measure it?
4. Plan at least 1 week ahead
Planning ahead is a major component to practicing deep work – getting in a routine of sitting down at your dedicated workspace without distractions and choosing your deep work philosophy around when and how you work best. Setting your goals in advance helps you stay focussed and cross off the to-do list. It also helps to eliminate context switching and attention residue to get the same sort of tasks achieved all at the same time. Newport himself says that he plans his work 4 weeks ahead of time, while planning just for the week in advance might be suitable for you.
