Chioma Momah: Do You Love Multitasking? Here’s Why You Should Stop

I was recently at a conference and was asked about the main result of many women’s unpaid work. My answer was simple: burnout. Many women juggle managing their careers with managing their homes, and in a bid to “do it all,” we overdo it, which can have disastrous effects. Because we have so much to do, we feel our only option is to multi-task. As a very busy working woman, I fell into that trap. When I was asked, “How do you do it all?” I used to pride myself on being a good multi-tasker, but now I know better. You see, though multi-tasking seems to help us do more in a shorter time, in the long run, you end up doing more harm than good.

We are not machines

The human brain and body, though highly functional, were not created to multitask. There is a reason why we have two hands and not twenty. The term “multitasking” was coined by International Business Machines (IBM) in the 1960s to describe the computer’s concurrent performance of many jobs. Hence, the human brain is not a computer. It does not function at its best when handling multiple tasks simultaneously. When we think we are multitasking, we are losing time and more in the process. I can relate to trying to finish tasks or attempting to juggle too many things at once. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated when we find ourselves in these situations.

It reduces efficiency

The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” reminds us that when we try to do too many things at once, we may complete them but not thoroughly. Efficiency, effectiveness, and follow-through are often sacrificed in the name of multitasking. For example, when you’re replying to work emails, watching a movie, and talking to a friend, one or more of these activities will suffer. You might end up inserting the name of the movie in your email or not fully hearing what your friend is saying. It’s important to remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well. So, it’s better to focus on one task at a time. Even meals aren’t fully enjoyed when we’re doing other things. It’s best to take a seat at the table and savour your fresh fish pepper soup without distractions.

Unfinished tasks

Sometimes, you may realize that despite doing a lot, you still have several unfinished tasks in front of you. This is the result of taking on too much – the price of multitasking. You can achieve more by focusing on tasks one at a time and seeing them through to completion. Instead of increasing our productivity, multitasking reduces it. Next time you have several things to do, prioritise and tackle them one after the other. Science has shown that when we multitask, it is harder for our brain to remember even the simplest things. I experienced this several times as a young working mom. I would start cooking and then decide to get ahead on another chore, and another, and another, and then while engrossed in several things, I would suddenly smell something! Yep, the smell of burnt food.

I know how many times my children have had to tell me, “Mum, put your phone down,” because I am trying to finish some work and listen to them. Yes, you have things on your plate, but rather than do it all, learn to delegate some tasks and free your time, especially for those who matter the most. I have realised that when I am doing too many things together, I get tired and stressed with several uncompleted tasks staring me in the face. However, when I take time to properly plan, outline, and attend to my tasks one by one, it may seem like it takes longer, but I achieve much more.

So, plan, prioritise, delegate, outsource; do what is needed to multitask less, protect your mental health, and achieve more.

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