{"id":1548,"date":"2021-09-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1548"},"modified":"2021-09-10T08:51:21","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T12:51:21","slug":"thing-you-can-multitask-think-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1548","title":{"rendered":"Thing you can multitask? Think Again."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size\">Multitasking is a myth. What you THINK of as &#8220;multitasking&#8221; is ACTUALLY &#8220;serial mono-tasking&#8221;. You really are working on ONE task at a time, and switching from one to the other quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The problem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Everytime you switch, it costs you time, energy, and attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Disagree? Read the article below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Try reading it while you are doing NOTHING else &#8211; just focus on the article.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/th.bing.com\/th\/id\/OIP.Y03DrfmKpJ-iPv2qBrsvfAHaEo?pid=ImgDet&amp;rs=1\" alt=\"See the source image\"\/><figcaption>Multitasking is a Myth. It&#8217;s a TERRIBLE way to study.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The article <\/em><em>below<\/em> <em>taken from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/blog\/creativity-without-borders\/201405\/the-myth-multitasking\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/blog\/creativity-without-borders\/201405\/the-myth-multitasking<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think you\u2019re good at doing several things at once?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading and listening to music? Driving and talking on the phone (hands-free, of course), or texting while sitting in a meeting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Think again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/basics\/neuroscience\">neuroscience<\/a>&nbsp;tells us that the brain doesn\u2019t really do tasks simultaneously, as we thought (hoped) it might. In fact, we just switch tasks quickly. Each time we move from hearing music, to writing a text, or talking to someone, there is a stop\/start process that goes on in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That start\/stop\/start process is rough on us. Rather than saving time, it costs time (even very small micro seconds). It\u2019s less efficient, we make more mistakes, and over time, it can sap our energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still don\u2019t believe me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a small test that I learned recently in a workshop about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/basics\/mindfulness\">mindfulness<\/a>, delivered by the Potential Project, a group based out of Denmark. Here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Draw two horizontal lines on a piece of paper.<\/li><li>Now, have someone time you as you carry out the two tasks that follow:<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On the first line, write:<ul><li>I am a great multitasker<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>I am a great multitasker<\/li><li>On the second line, write out the numbers 1-20 sequentially, like those below:<ul><li>1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>How much time did it take to do the two tasks? Usually it\u2019s about 20 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s multitask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Draw two more horizontal lines. This time, and again have someone time you, write a letter on one line, and then a number on the line below, then the next letter in the sentence on the upper line, and then the next number in the sequence, changing from line to line. In other words, you write the letter &#8220;I&#8221; and then the number &#8220;1&#8221; and then the letter &#8220;a&#8221; and then the number &#8220;2&#8221; and so on, until you complete both lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I a\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1 2\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll bet you your time is double or more what it was on the first round. You also may have made some errors and you were probably frustrated since you had to \u201crethink\u201d what the next letter would be and then the next number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s switch-tasking on something very simple, but that&#8217;s exactly what happens when we attempt to do many things (often more complex) at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So next time you think you\u2019re multi-tasking, stop and be aware that you are really switch-tasking. Then give yourself a time limit (10 minutes, 45 minutes?) and focus on just one task and see if you can\u2019t complete it better, faster, and with less energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/contributors\/nancy-k-napier-phd\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn2.psychologytoday.com\/assets\/styles\/thumbnail_115x140\/public\/Nancy-Napier.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Nancy K. Napier, Ph.D.\" title=\"Nancy K. Napier, Ph.D.\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/contributors\/nancy-k-napier-phd\"><strong>Nancy K. Napier, Ph.D.<\/strong>, is Professor of Strategy and International Business at Boise State University.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Online:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/beyondtheblue.boisestate.edu\/blog\/2012\/01\/03\/nancy-napier\/\">Beyond the Blue Podcast &#8212; Creativity<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multitasking is a myth. What you THINK of as &#8220;multitasking&#8221; is ACTUALLY &#8220;serial mono-tasking&#8221;. You really are working on ONE task at a time, and switching from one to the other quickly. The problem? Everytime you switch, it costs you time, energy, and attention. Disagree? Read the article below. Try reading it while you are &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1548\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Thing you can multitask? Think Again.<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[369],"class_list":["post-1548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-multitask"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42ogX-oY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1000,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1000","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":0},"title":"Think you can Multitask? Think Again.","author":"Tom Rule","date":"02\/08\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Tech team has noticed students with 2 windows open on their desktops in the labs - one window with the class info open, the other with a game. \"I'M MULTITASKING\", said one student. \"No, you aren't. The human brain physiologically cannot multitask\", said the Computer Curmudgeon. Bottom Line: When\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Essentials&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Essentials","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=105"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1261,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1261","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":1},"title":"Get better at using your iPad [and save time]","author":"Tom Rule","date":"12\/05\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As one article says, 'It's important to learn the ways you can navigate in the OS with as little friction as possible\".... in other words, get your work done faster with fewer headaches. Click the link below to get to an article that tells you how to Select Multiple items\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faculty&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Faculty","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tech2.mountdesales.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1267,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1267","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":2},"title":"iPad Tips and Tricks","author":"Tom Rule","date":"01\/27\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Gestures, Split View, and More make the iPad even more useful. Most of this information covers IOS 13 - so if you have not updated, GET IT DONE tonight at home. Some of it also applies to IOS 12 and 11, which is as far as some of the older\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Essentials&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Essentials","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=105"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tech.mountdesales.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tech.mountdesales.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tech.mountdesales.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/image-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1583,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1583","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":3},"title":"Notability &#8211; What **ELSE** can you do?","author":"Tom Rule","date":"11\/05\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"[Source: https:\/\/notability.medium.com\/useful-how-to-tips-in-notability-2fdf1c6aa11a] Click the links in each section for more details. You'll be surprised at what Notability can do.... that you didn't know about! Create Perfect Shapes Draw any shape and hold the ink for a moment; watch as the shape snaps perfectly into place. You can also erase perfect\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Apps&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Apps","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=145"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":908,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=908","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":4},"title":"IOS 11 &#8211; quick overview","author":"Tom Rule","date":"09\/25\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Much of the info below was taken from THIS ARTICLE. How do I know if I can update to IOS 11? Not everyone on campus can. The easiest way is to go to Settings --> General --> Software Update and see if it is available. Note that you can see\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;iPads&quot;","block_context":{"text":"iPads","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meraki.cisco.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Screen-Shot-2017-09-18-at-8.46.45-AM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1553,"url":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?p=1553","url_meta":{"origin":1548,"position":5},"title":"ApplePencil and other IOS 15 tips","author":"Tom Rule","date":"10\/11\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some new uses for Apple Pencil in IOS15,. plus some new features that you might like to know about.[The below information was taken from www.techrepublic.com\/article\/ipados-15-best-uses-for-apple-pencil and from www.techrepublic.com\/article\/best-hidden-ios-15-features-you-didnt-know-existed] Apple has a webpage HERE that lists the new features in iPad OS 15. QUICK NOTE: jot down notes and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;iPads&quot;","block_context":{"text":"iPads","link":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1548"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1549,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1548\/revisions\/1549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech.mountdesales.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}