We pride ourselves on doing more. Multitasking is often worn like a badge of honour, juggling meetings, emails, messages and spreadsheets all before noon. Would you agree that multitasking quietly sabotages your productivity and drains your happiness?
I’ve worked with many business leaders and entrepreneurs who find themselves overwhelmed, stretched thin, and dissatisfied, not because they’re lazy or disorganized, but because they’re constantly dividing their attention.
Multitasking: The Illusion of Productivity
Let’s bust the myth: multitasking isn’t doing multiple things simultaneously; it’s rapidly switching between tasks. Each time you switch, your brain takes time to refocus, a phenomenon known as context switching. According to research from the American Psychological Association, this can reduce productivity by up to 40%.
When we try to do two cognitively demanding tasks at once, say, writing a proposal while responding to messages, we dilute the quality of both. It takes longer, we make more mistakes, and our stress levels creep upward.
The Emotional Toll of Distraction
Beyond the drop in performance, distraction affects our emotional well-being. Constant interruptions make it hard to get into a state of flow, that sweet spot where creativity and productivity soar. Without it, work feels fragmented, unrewarding, and never quite finished.
Distractions also trigger a stress response. Notifications, emails, or even a quick scroll on social media can spike cortisol levels and leave you feeling drained without understanding why.
Reclaiming Focus: Practical Steps
If we want to reclaim our productivity and protect our peace of mind, we need to stop glorifying multitasking and start designing our work for focus.
- Time Block for Focused Work: Set aside blocks of time where you work on a single task—no meetings, no emails, no pings. Even 25 to 45 minutes of undistracted focus can yield more than hours of fractured attention. Tools like the Pomodoro Technique can help.
- Create a ‘No Distraction’ Agreement: Talk to your team or coworkers about setting designated quiet times where interruptions are minimized. Protect your deep work like it’s an appointment with your most important client.
- Work With Your Natural Rhythms: Are you a morning thinker? A late-night planner? Align your focused tasks with your personal productivity peaks. Research from Harvard Business Review suggests tailoring your schedule to your natural energy levels improves both output and satisfaction.
- Audit Your Attention: Keep a distraction journal for a few days. What’s pulling you away from focus – notifications, coworkers, open tabs? Identify patterns, then set up systems to protect your time.
The ROI of Focus
Think of attention like a currency: you only have so much to spend each day. Spending it wisely yields better outcomes, higher-quality work, and more satisfaction. The best leaders I work with aren’t the busiest—they’re the most focused.
Don’t try to do everything at once. Choose what matters most, give it your full attention, and watch your work and joy improve.
