With so much going on and a tightly packed schedule, you may feel you do not have enough time to focus on one task at a time and finish it before moving on to the next. Instead, you may turn to multitasking, which feels like an efficient way to get more things done.
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But what does multitasking do to your brain, and could it leave you feeling mentally drained? Dr Neha Pandita, senior consultant neurologist and unit head, clinical lead for Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders at Fortis Hospital, Noida, revealed how it may be exhausting for the brain. The brain switches its attention between tasks rather than handling them simultaneously. So, you may be doing things simultaneously, but your brain does not multitask. It focuses on one item, one at a time.
What is the cost of multitasking?
This constant back-and-forth switching means the brain has to readjust each time. When you return to the original task, you need to recall where you left off and rebuild your train of thought.
Dr Pandita explained what can be the cost of ‘multitasking’, “Every time we move from an email to a WhatsApp message, from a meeting to a notification, or from a conversation to a phone screen, the brain has to reorient itself. The result can be more mistakes, slower work, and a feeling of mental exhaustion. Research on task switching has consistently demonstrated this ‘switching cost.’”
So, it is actually counterproductive! You may think juggling different things at different times might actually work in your favour, but no, it slows you down. You feel more interrupted, and you have to put in more effort to finish a task, so you may spend longer doing it and get more tired by the end.
How does it show up?
The neurologist then shared a common observation from her practice: people often report feeling forgetful when they have a lot on their minds.
She said, “I often hear patients describe this in a different way. They say, “Doctor, my memory is becoming weak. I read something and immediately forget it,” or “I go into another room and don’t remember why I went there.”
The doctor clarified that while forgetfulness can have many different causes, frequent interruptions in your daily routine may also play a role. She highlighted how multitasking has become part of everyday life: “They read while checking their phone, eat while watching something and work with several notifications competing for attention.”
However, persistent or significant memory-related problems should be medically evaluated rather than immediately attributed to multitasking.
Do you need to stop multitasking?
This raises an obvious question: do you need to stop multitasking, especially if it adds to your mental workload? The neurologist reminded us that a blanket ban is neither necessary nor realistic.
Instead, she recommended identifying the correct activities that can coexist: “The more useful approach is to understand which activities can comfortably coexist and which ones compete for the same mental resources. Listening to music while folding clothes is very different from writing a report while participating in a meeting.”
So, you need to pick activities where one is in the background and does not demand much attention.
How can you reduce frequent distractions?
The neurosurgeon suggested small changes to create more uninterrupted time:
- Keep your phone away while doing work that requires concentration.
- Turn off non-essential notifications.
- Avoid repeatedly checking messages when reading something important.
- Set aside some screen-time-free areas and conversations.
In the end, the expert advised, “Multitasking itself is not necessarily harmful to the brain. The bigger concern is the habit of constantly fragmenting our attention and then wondering why we feel mentally drained. Sometimes, doing one thing at a time is not a limitation. It is simply giving the brain a fair chance to do that one thing well.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
