Why Multi Tasking May Be Harmful To You
Posted: April 15, 2020
As I am sure you know, your mind is like a muscle that, with training, can grow - not in size, but in the ease with which it can do tasks. The more you use your brain in a specific manner, the more it gets accustomed to working and the task at hand tends to become easier and easier. In an article I came across written by Mayo Oshin MayoOshin.com, he references a study done by Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. Mr. Levitin writes, “Multitasking creates a dopamine-addiction feedback loop, effectively rewarding the brain for losing focus and for constantly searching for external stimulation.” Levitin suggests that the same regions of the brain that we need to stay focused on a task, are also easily distracted. Each time we multitask — by browsing the internet, scrolling on social media feeds, checking emails and so on — we train our brains to lose focus and get distracted. Here’s the bad news. Just like the effects of a drug, our brains can get addicted to the dopamine rush from switching tasks and losing focus. Once this happens, it becomes very difficult to break the cycle.
So, what does this mean and how does it relate to the Pillar of “Focus on You.”? From the perspective of giving yourself complete and total attention when you are goal setting, laying out your week, working out, meditating, etc., if your habit of thinking is based on jumping from one thing to another, it will be difficult to rewire your brain when you need it to be there exclusively for you. Next time you are tempted to hop quickly from one topic to another, please remember - there is a lot more at stake for you than simply getting things done.
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