Why Multitasking Is Costing You
For anyone who is always doing three things at once and somehow finishing none of them well.
Multitasking costs you because your brain does not truly do two focused tasks at once. It switches back and forth, and every switch costs time, energy and accuracy. Research cited by the American Psychological Association suggests task switching can eat up as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time. It also costs attention with the people around you. The fix is to single-task: one thing, full attention, for a set block of time.
There were seasons when work followed me everywhere.
I would be sitting at one of my kids’ games, physically present but mentally somewhere else, thinking about a problem I needed to solve, an email to respond to, or a meeting coming up the next day.
If you had asked me where I was, I would have said I was with my family. The truth is, part of me was still at work.
Being present and being available are not the same thing.
The cost is measurable. Research by psychologists including David Meyer at the University of Michigan found that switching between tasks creates mental “switch costs,” and the American Psychological Association notes these can add up to as much as 40 percent of productive time. You feel busy, but you get less done and make more mistakes.
Half your attention on two things is not double the output. It is half the life.
Six ways to stop multitasking
Pick one thing
Before you begin, decide what this block of time is for. Everything else waits.
Work in blocks
Give one task 25 to 50 minutes of full attention, then take a short break.
Close the extra tabs
Shut email, messages and extra windows while you work. Each one is an invitation to switch.
Silence notifications
Turn off alerts during focus blocks. Check messages at set times instead.
Batch small tasks
Answer emails, return messages and handle quick admin in one batch instead of scattering them all day.
Be where you are
At dinner or at the game, put the phone away. People can tell when they have only part of you.
In a world where everyone is half-listening,
being fully present stands out more than you think.
Hidden costs of multitasking
- 1. More mistakes and rework
- 2. Tasks take longer than if done one at a time
- 3. More stress and mental fatigue
- 4. Weaker memory of what you worked on
- 5. People around you feel only half heard
Related reading: How to Focus, Present vs Available and How to Stop Doomscrolling.
Common questions
Is multitasking bad for you?
For tasks that need focus, yes. Switching back and forth costs time, increases mistakes and adds stress.
Can anyone multitask well?
Very few people can. Most people who think they are good at multitasking are actually switching quickly between tasks and paying for it in accuracy.
How much time does multitasking waste?
The American Psychological Association notes that task switching can cost as much as 40 percent of productive time.
What should I do instead of multitasking?
Single-task in focused blocks, batch small tasks together and silence notifications while you work.
Your brain switches instead of multitasking. Pick one thing, work in focused blocks, silence notifications and be fully where you are.
You Are Capable
of More.
Ten principles for becoming the person you know you are capable of being, built from real stories of people who doubted themselves and did it anyway. Winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival.
When I’ve got something worth sending.
Just a story or an idea I picked up that I think will help you.
Sometimes that’s twice in a month. Sometimes it’s not for a while.