Once upon a time, “Multitasker Extraordinaire” was the big, shiny badge we all wanted to wear. We thought we could be super-human, combining conference calls with writing a report while reading some juicy online gossip. Or watching TV while spending “quality time” with our family. And now add smartphones to the mix… and we can’t seem to work out why we’re exhausted, unable to focus, and not getting enough done (whatever “enough” might be!).
If the massive advances in neuroscience in recent years have taught us anything, it’s that our brains are powerful enough to manage millions of bits of information every day, but they cannot multitask. The idea of multitasking as a shortcut to productivity is a myth. Our brains simply cannot focus on two things at the same time.
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