Simplify For Joy #8: Stop Multi-Tasking!

Multi-Tasking Makes You Less Efficient

It didn't take us long to find articles to back up Erica's claim that we should stick to Single-Tasking, and you're welcome to do your own research if you don't trust us, but here are some take-aways from what we read online this week:

• You think you're Multi-Tasking, but all you're doing is Task-Switching.
• Task-Switching may lead to a 40% loss in productivity.
• People who think they're good at Multi-Tasking is actually worse at it than those who usually stick to Single-Tasking.
• Multi-Tasking makes you miss out on what's right in front of you.
• It makes you dumber. "A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they'd expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night." [Travis Bradberry, Forbes Contributor]
• Multi-Tasking may cause weight gain.
• It slows you down - go see it for yourself with the Horizontal Line Test by Denmark's Potential Project group.
• Multi-Tasking hogs your brain's RAM, sucking your creativity wells dry.
• It may also be lowering your EQ, something you actually really need to work on for the sake of future work success.

[P.S. Sorry for posting this one a little late!]

*What’s This?

Every week through 2017, we'll attempt one of Erica Layne's 52 Obtainable Ways to Simplify Your Life. For more info, you can read our introductory post here.