Multitasking: Why It Fails and How to Focus at Work

Multitasking may feel productive, but the science is clear: your brain isn't built to do two things at once. What feels like juggling tasks is actually task switching, which decreases focus and leads to more mistakes. In this article, we break down what multitasking really does to your brain, bust common myths, and share six strategies that actually work to help you and your team stay focused.

Multitasking is a myth. What you’re really doing is switching between tasks. It's almost always more efficient to focus on one task at a time.”

What is multitasking?

Multitasking is the act of handling multiple tasks at once or switching between them rapidly. While it may feel efficient, your brain's cognitive control centers can't manage more than one focus-demanding activity at a time. Each switch fragments your attention, increases mistakes, and drains your working memory.

Common tools and triggers keep this cycle going, including:

• Notifications: Constant pings from apps pull your focus away mid-task.

• Text messaging: Quick replies feel harmless but create repeated attention shifts.

• Social media: Scrolling between work and feeds splits your concentration throughout the day.

Examples of multitasking

Some multitasking is obvious. Other times, it's disguised as productivity. These behaviors are actually just task switching in disguise, and they chip away at your cognition:

• Responding to text messages during a phone call

• Listening to a podcast while writing an email

• Jumping between tabs or tools mid-task

• Checking a to-do list while in a meeting

• Scrolling social media during a virtual presentation

• Reading docs while replying to Slack

These habits can feel harmless, but they scatter your focus and interrupt the flow of deeper work.

What are the effects of multitasking on cognition and productivity?

Multitasking affects more than just speed. Every switch taps your executive control, building up switch costs that slow decision-making and cause mental fatigue. Over time, this can reduce short-term memory, lower output, and increase the risk of burnout.

Our research shows that 71% of knowledge workers felt burned out in the past year, with the highest rates among those who feel uneasy without their phones: 65%, compared to 45% who don't. The result is less clarity, lower output, and more stress.

How multitasking affects your brain

Your brain isn't designed to process two focus-demanding activities at the same time. What feels like doing multiple things at once is actually your brain rapidly toggling between them. Each toggle, no matter how small, creates a measurable switch cost that adds up over the course of your workday.

The neuroscience behind task switching

When you shift from one task to another, three key brain networks get involved:

• Frontoparietal control network: Sets goals and filters incoming information.

• Dorsal attention network: Directs focused attention toward the current task.

• Ventral attention network: Reorients you when something unexpected pulls your focus.

These systems are optimized for handling one thing at a time. Asking them to juggle competing demands leads to slower processing, more errors, and higher cognitive load.

Short-term and long-term effects on your brain

The effects of multitasking show up immediately and can compound over time:

• Short-term effects: Drained working memory, increased stress hormones, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure. These effects may feel minor in the moment, but they accumulate.

• Long-term effects: Symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduced attention span, and potential changes in brain structure. One correlational study found that frequent media multitaskers had smaller brain volumes in the anterior cingulate cortex, though it's still unclear whether multitasking directly causes structural changes.

Why this matters for your team

When individual team members are constantly switching between tasks, operational efficiency suffers and the effects ripple outward. Missed details, slower response times, and lower-quality work become the norm rather than the exception. Understanding how multitasking taxes the brain helps leaders create environments where focused, single-task work is the standard.

5 multitasking myths

Many of us think we're good at multitasking or that it helps us get more done. But most of what we assume about it doesn't match how the brain works. These multitasking myths help explain the gap.

Myth 1: Humans can multitask

Is it possible to multitask? Not really. Studies show the human brain isn't built to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. What feels like multitasking is actually rapid task switching, which drains working memory, increases mistakes, and creates measurable switch costs.

Multitasking is a myth. What you’re really doing is switching between tasks. It's almost always more efficient to focus on one task at a time.”

Myth 2: Multitasking isn't that bad

Many people believe they've developed multitasking ability, but research shows little connection between confidence and actual performance. Over time, the negative effects of multitasking can feel normal, even if they're still hurting your focus. Just because task switching feels routine doesn't mean it's not slowing you down.

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Myth 3: Multitasking increases productivity

Doing two things at once may feel productive, but it can reinforce toxic productivity without improving results. Studies by Dr. David Meyer and Dr. Joshua Rubinstein found that context switching can reduce productivity by as much as 40%. Each shift between cognitive tasks uses up working memory and slows your ability to complete either task well.

Myth 4: There are different types of multitasking

Are there really different types of multitasking? Not exactly. Terms like task switching, context switching, and attention residue don't describe separate forms of multitasking, they describe what happens when you try to do multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Multitasking is the attempt to juggle two activities at the same time.

• Task switching is the mental act of shifting between them.

• Attention residue is what lingers from the last task, which clouds your cognition as you move to the next task.

Myth 5: Multitasking at work is ok

Is multitasking at work really a problem? Yes, even when it feels routine. According to our research, the average knowledge worker switches between 10 apps up to 25 times per day, leading to missed messages, overlooked tasks, and lower efficiency.

One common form, media multitasking, often stems from tech overload, bouncing between tools like email, chat, and project software. In addition to typical switch costs, media multitasking has been linked to weaker working memory and poorer long-term mental health.

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6 ways to be productive without multitasking

The myth of multitasking suggests we can juggle a number of tasks at once, but the human brain isn't wired that way. These six strategies show how single-tasking can help you reclaim your full attention and find your flow.

Remote work has increased distractions with more pings, more meetings, and less time to focus. It’s clear something needs to change.”

1. Try timeboxing

Timeboxing helps you commit your full attention to a task by assigning it a fixed block of time. Research from UC Berkeley's Becoming Superhuman Lab found that "Focus Sprint" participants who avoided switching tasks during work sessions felt 43% more productive.

Here's how it works:

• Pick one task: Choose the task that needs your attention most.

• Set a timer: Assign a fixed block of time, such as 30 or 60 minutes.

• Eliminate distractions: No checking emails, no switching tabs until the timer ends.

2. Schedule time blocks

Time blocking helps heavy multitaskers reduce task switching by grouping related tasks. Instead of jumping between tools or reacting to every notification, set focused blocks to handle similar work, like checking email once in the morning and once before signing off. This keeps you in control of your time and protects your working memory from constant interruptions.

I block time between meetings for focused work and short breaks—and set my Slack to “heads down” so others know I’m unavailable.”

3. Use do not disturb features

Turning on do-not-disturb mode helps minimize switch costs caused by digital pings. Use it across devices, including your computer, phone, and chat apps, to stay focused during deep work. You're not ignoring your team; you're giving your brain space to think clearly and finish one task before starting another.

Distractions are costly. With Asana, teams stay in flow because everyone knows what they’re working on, without extra meetings.”

4. Try the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique encourages short bursts of focused work followed by intentional breaks. You work for 25 minutes, then take five to reset. After four cycles, take a more extended break to check social media, reply to text messages, or make a phone call without derailing your momentum.

5. Align your priorities

Multitasking is a myth, especially when everything feels urgent. Using a priority matrix helps you focus on what matters now. If a new request is less important than what you're doing, keep going; if it's more important, make a conscious switch instead of reacting mid-task.

6. Set MITs

Identify your most important tasks (MITs) daily to focus your energy where it counts. According to Dr. Sahar Yousef, setting daily MITs can cut procrastination and lower burnout. Sharing your MITs with teammates adds accountability and reduces the urge to chase every phone call, ping, or pop-up.

From task switching to single tasking

It's not easy to stop multitasking, especially if it's a common part of your day. But when you focus on one thing at a time, you'll find you're more engaged, productive, and impactful. The key is building habits that protect your focus, whether that's timeboxing your calendar, setting daily MITs, or using a work management platform that keeps everything in one place.

When your team has clarity on who's doing what and by when, the urge to multitask drops and real progress takes its place. Ready to help your team focus on the work that matters? Get started with Asana today.

How to find focus & flow in a distracted world

Get science-backed tips from experts in psychology and neuroscience. Learn how to minimize distractions and focus on high-priority tasks, so you can flourish at home and at work.

Get the insights

Frequently asked questions about multitasking and cognition