Many people believe that they are a master of multitasking, but will all this be a self-righteous idea?
Our brains are not inherently conducive to the use of one mind.
The brain is designed to focus on one thing at a time, and if too much information is bombarded, it will slow down its growth.
Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, notes that our brains "don't do a good job of multitasking." When people think they're working on multiple tasks at the same time, they're actually actually switching from one task to another very quickly. Every time they do, there is a cognitive cost. "
This constant task-switching encourages bad brain habits. When we do a very small task, such as sending an e-mail, replying to text messages, and tweeting, we get hit by a clump of dopamine, the hormone is the reward send to the brain. Our brains love this dopamine, so we're encouraged to switch between small tasks that give us instant satisfaction.
This creates a dangerous feedback loop, and when we really don't do much or at least don't need too much critical thinking, we feel like we've done a lot of things. In fact, some people even call reading e-mail/texting/headlines, neuro addiction.
Multitasking will reduce the quality and efficiency of your work.
Multitasking makes it more difficult for organizations to think and filter irrelevant information, and reduces the efficiency and quality of our work.
A study by the University of London found that subjects who were on multiple tasks at the same time performed cognitive tasks had significantly lower IQs. In fact, a drop in IQ is similar to what you see in people who don't sleep or smoke marijuana. It's a terrible idea.
It has also been found that multiple tasks at the same time increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Keeping our brains changing gears increases our stress and makes us feel mentally exhausted, even when the day's work is just beginning.
Multitasking use is the biggest perpetrator of chaos. Some studies have shown that even a single opportunity to use more, such as knowing that you have an unread email in your inbox, can reduce your effective IQ by 10! A new bold email in your inbox always excites us and distracts us. A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that employees spend 28 percent of their weekly hours checking e-mail.
Email is problematic, but texting is worse, it requires more direct feedback than email, and the result is that we check it more firmly.
Protect yourself from multi-tasking mental slaughter by setting up an e-mail screening program. Promise to check your e-mail only three times a day, perhaps in the morning, at lunchtime, and before you leave work at the end of the day. Turning off texting notifications and choosing a specific time to check your phone is a good way to protect your brain.
Men who multitasking are the worst.
For men, multitasking may reduce your IQ by as much as 15%, essentially making you cognitively equivalent to an 8-year-old. Don't be surprised when you find yourself making unwise decisions.
The damage may be permanent.
New research suggests that cognitive impairment associated with multitasking may be permanent.
A study by the University of Sussex (UK) performed MRI scans on the brains of people who were using a variety of devices at the same time, such as texting while watching TV. MRI scans showed that the more frequent the multitasking of subjects, the lower the brain density of the front buckle cortex. This is the area responsible for empathy and emotional control.
It is important to note that the study is not detailed enough to determine whether multitasking is the cause of these effects, or whether existing brain damage is responsible for the habit of multitasking. But no matter what you say, it's not good to multitask.
What is the lesson here? Adding multitasking as a skill to your resume, it's a bad habit that needs to be eliminated. Turn off notifications, create an all-day email check window instead of constantly refreshing your inbox, and focus on the task at hand.
