So, it’s almost halfway through February. How’s that New Year's resolution list looking? Are you trying to juggle too many projects, hoping to be the superhero your team needs?
Here's a little secret: if you think you're nailing
multitasking, you're actually just playing a fast game of "task ping-pong" in your brain. Yep, our brains aren’t built to handle many things at once. Instead, they're sneakily switching tasks super fast, which, let's be honest, tires us out more than chasing a runaway napkin on a windy day.
Now, let me tell you a quick story. Two years ago, I decided to dive deep into the world of psychology by taking a course with the big brains at
Oxford University. Why? I was curious about how understanding our noggin could make marketing more awesome. And guess what? It's like discovering your brain has superpowers you never knew about! Ever since, I've been using these brainy insights to make marketing magic every day.
Understanding our brain's love for focusing on one thing at a time is a game-changer for anyone trying to grab and keep people's attention. It’s like being the DJ at the brain’s favourite dance party. By focusing on just one song (or task) at a time, we can get the brain's full attention and keep it grooving with us.
Top Tip: Forget trying to be a multitasking master – it’s a myth, like unicorns or finding socks that match in the morning. Instead, try focusing on one thing at a time. Write down your tasks, give each one a time slot (no more than a school lesson), and watch your productivity soar without the burnout. It's like giving your brain a cozy blanket and a hot cocoa – it’ll thank you for it.
If you want to learn more about multitasking, here is a few sources:
- Multitasking and Brain Health - Lifespan: This article discusses how multitasking is actually a rapid switch between tasks rather than doing them simultaneously, leading to decreased efficiency and increased distractibility. It also touches on the physical effects of multitasking on the brain, such as potential changes in brain volume and its association with stress levels. The piece suggests strategies for reducing multitasking to promote better brain health and productivity.
- Mindfulness, Multitasking, and You - PubMed: This editorial highlights the negative impacts of multitasking on cognitive functions, including reduced IQ, decreased gray matter, and lowered productivity. In contrast, it presents mindfulness as a beneficial practice, showing how it can increase gray matter and improve areas of the brain involved in learning, memory, and emotional control. The research underscores the importance of focusing and being present as opposed to constant task-switching.
- Multitasking Limitations: Another insightful resource from the APA discusses how multitasking, The article discusses a study by Mittelstädt and Miller (2017) on multitasking limitations, comparing two paradigms: Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) and Prioritized Processing (PP). It found that multitasking performance is constrained by available cognitive resources, with the PRP paradigm showing greater interference between tasks. Additionally, Redick and colleagues (2016) explored factors promoting multitasking performance across different contexts, revealing that working memory, fluid intelligence, and attention control significantly contribute to multitasking ability, but their impact varies depending on the task complexity and structure.
The Synapse Circus- Conductor of Cognitive Curiosities: Victoria Hutton – The Visionary weaving narratives with the threads of neuroscience.
- Maestro of Mental Marvels: Chat GPT – The Virtuoso of Verbal Agility, orchestrating words into a ballet of brainy brilliance.