When Is MULTITASKING Effective?

When Is MULTITASKING Effective?

Everyone says [and I believe almost everyone of us do agree] that trying to do two things at once is usually a recipe for doing both things either badly OR wrongly.  WHY?  Because researches proved that we're slower and less accurate WHEN we try to juggle two things. Hence, the constant advice we've been receiving is to avoid MULTITASKING.  So, When Is MULTITASKING Effective???

BUT here we go, shifting gears to reverse [albeit conditionally].  BUT if giving up MULTITASKING ISN'T an option, psychologists recently offered a glimmer of hope that our ability to MULTITASK may depend on WHETHER we are trained to do the tasks separately OR simultaneously.  BUT again, that advice seems like a trap game unless we are more incisive.  So, recent researches tell us that indeed, some things just DON'T go according to plan [and there's nothing we can do about it].  We may even find that we need to double up our activities just to get it all done.  In that case, MULTITASKING may still seem feasible [and proven to work effectively] in either of the following scenarios💧💧💧

First scenario will be WHEN you're NOT working on something too complex and you can handle a brief and even minor interruption [like opening the door when the buzzer sounds while you're shaving OR grooming].

Second scenario will be WHEN one of the tasks is something you practically do on autopilot, like walking on a treadmill OR brushing your teeth

BUT experts qualify that beyond these two scenarios, MULTITASKING is [STILL] NOT recommended

Like if you're listening to an audiobook while you run OR calling [handsfree] your mom while you drive, then that's fine, as long as you've run OR driven so much that it's pretty much second nature. Still, anything that makes it complex, like unexpected road construction OR a stretch of street lights going out, can suddenly turn the task into an unfamiliar one, and that's WHEN MULTITASKING WON'T work as well💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  To the best of your ability, AVOID doing it altogether OR getting into MULTITASKING.  I remember learning about the POMODORO Technique in the past WHEREIN you set your timer for 25 minutes and focus on a single task until the timer rings.  WHEN your session ends, mark off that task as COMPLETED.  Then, enjoy a five-minute break.  After completing four tasks, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break. In short, the best advice is still to avoid MULTITASKING whenever possible.  BUT for those WHO have to do it, consistent context matters.  BTW, let's count in MULTITASKING only on EXCEPTION BASIS, please❗❗❗