You can’t ride two horses with one ass, but you can ride one horse while screaming, which is multitasking. With one ass.
I’m personally a believer in the single-tasking lifestyle, but there are ways that multitasking can be effective for some people. It depends on the type of multitasking, the tasks themselves, and the person’s work style.
Let’s look at some ways you can actually multitask effectively, plus some ways that you Verifiably Cannot.
Types of Multitasking
There are two basic types of multitasking:
1. Genuinely doing multiple things at once.
This can sometimes work with specific tasks. If one task is automatic, if both tasks use separate cognitive functions, or when using short bursts of multitasking.
Automatic tasks can be paired with simple tasks for successful multitasking. Examples:
- Reading during a pedicure
- Working during a commute (when you’re not driving, obvs)
- Responding to texts while you wait in line
Tasks that require separate cognitive functions can be paired for effective multitasking. Examples:
- Listening to a lecture while stretching
- Brainstorming a problem while you drive a familiar route–I like to record voice memos at red lights
- Meal prepping while you listen to a podcast
- Listening to an audiobook on your walk (if you find it difficult to motivate yourself to go on walks/runs, you might assign one particular audiobook to only that activity, so you can only listen while doing it)
2. Bouncing between tasks.
The second type of multitasking is swapping between two tasks. This can work for people whose work style and task pairing suits it.
Think of this type of multitasking like a superset in the gym. Instead of organizing arm day traditionally, you could speed up the process with supersets:
| Traditional Sets | Supersets |
|---|---|
| set of curls | set of curls |
| 1 minute break | set of dips |
| set of curls | set of curls |
| 1 minute break | set of dips |
| set of curls | set of curls |
| 1 minute break | set of dips |
| set of curls | set of curls |
| 1 minute break | set of dips |
| set of dips | wow, we saved 7 minutes! |
| 1 minute break | |
| set of dips | |
| 1 minute break | |
| set of dips | |
| 1 minute break | |
| set of dips |
Supersets use two exercises that work separate muscles. While you’re working triceps, your biceps are resting, and vice versa, removing the need to take actual rests between sets. This expedites your workout.
This can be applied to your job, especially when you have two tasks that might have waiting periods.
For example, if you’re creating video content and reviewing your colleague’s report, you can read a few pages while your videos are importing, uploading, and rendering. Then you’ve completed both tasks in the time it would take you to only create the video.
You can clean the kitchen while your food cooks. Since you have nothing to do but need to stay close to keep an eye on things, cleaning up after yourself saves you the time it would take to do it after.
If you have a long list of people to interview, you might use the time between interviews to meditate–this can help you clear your mind, center yourself, and refocus to give each applicant your full attention.
As you might guess, the ability to multitask like this varies from person to person and task to task.
Effective Ways To Multitask
Here are a few ways you might be able to multitask without damaging the outcome of your work.
1. Waiting time
Any time that you spend waiting around for something is a great opportunity to fit in another activity. Getting some reading done at the hair salon. Reviewing your schedule and responding to emails on public transit. Pelvic floor exercises in your doctor’s waiting room, idk.
2. Pomodoro
If you use the Pomodoro Method of time and task management, you can perform the 25-minute work sprint on one project, take your 5-minute break, then switch to a different task for your next work sprint.
3. “Supersets”
As mentioned above, you can multitask by employing supersets, where you bounce between two tasks that it might make sense for, like video editing and document reviewing.
Like a superset in the gym, you want to pair tasks that use different functions of your brain, so the other part can “rest” when you switch.
4. Save media
Use Watch/Read/List Later functions on your devices to save media you’re interested in consuming. Then, when you’re doing a mindless task or in a waiting period, you can quickly pull something from that list to multitask watching/reading while you perform an automated task or wait.
If your multitasking method lands outside of these options, you might be losing more time than you’re saving. Did I miss any? Let me know in a comment!
Ineffective Ways To Multitask
Here are some of the worst ways to try to multitask.
1. Audio and reading
Listening to something while trying to read will fritz your brain out. It feels like we can read texts and keep up with what’s happening on Love Is Blind: UK, but they’re already to home visits and you don’t even know who you hate yet.
2. Combining complex tasks
You can combine simple and/or mindless tasks with another simple task. You might even do a complex and mindless task together (this looks like working while something else is Happening. working in the bathtub, with a face mask, outside while you get your morning sun, etc).
The problem comes when you combine two tasks that both require actual attention. You can’t read a book and listen to a different audiobook. You CAN listen to an audiobook while you sketch your dog wearing a hat.
3. Multitasking during deep work
Deep work necessitates total focus, making multitasking during it completely counter-intuitive. Even mindless tasks can be too distracting for deep work sessions.
4. Multitasking in a distracting environment
Multitasking is complicated enough in a distraction-free environment. Attempting to multitask with other stuff going on is impossible. You’ll end up wasting more time than you save.
5. Ignoring physical or mental fatigue
Pushing through multitasking (or single-tasking) while physically or mentally tired won’t produce effective results. Take your break, then come back and focus on one task. Trying to multitask when you’re already worn out will just further exhaust you without producing better results.
6. Multitasking without a plan
Multitasking without a plan usually looks like when you’re bored or unfocused on the task you want to work on, so you hop to others, not making much progress on any of them. Pretty much the opposite of deep work.
This is a type of procrastination, and avoiding the harder, important task will only drag it out.
If you do intend to multitask, be sure you’re doing it intentionally–not just avoiding something.
7. Overestimating your ability
Sometimes we think we’re successfully multitasking when we’re, just, not doing that. Be realistic with your capability, task type, and circumstances instead of forcing multitasking to happen when it shouldn’t.
Should you multitask?
Probably not? Multitasking can be done effectively in some cases, but in general, it’s better to focus on one task. Even if you COULD manage multiple, should you? In a world of distraction, overload, and more information than we’re capable of processing, would it be better to seek focus and mindfulness, keeping your brainload simple?
But if you absolutely insist, and you’re a dynamite focus-er and think you can manage it, pair simple and mindless tasks, avoid complex work, multitask intentionally (not as procrastination), and try out the strategies above for the best results.
