The Myth of Multitasking
We are continuing to celebrate ADHD Awareness Month! Created by a coalition of ADHD organizations - ACO, ADDA, and CHADD - the goal of ADHD Awareness Month is to share reliable information about ADHD and its treatments worldwide. Their website has so much information, including a Q&A section, which is worth checking out!
I have another tip for you from Daily Tips for Life with ADHD. The tip that caught my eye today is Multitasking is a Myth.
I love this tip! When I think of multitasking, I think of a corporate job I had in the 2000s. It was a time when multitasking was seen as being uber-productive. I remember sitting in a weekly 1:1 meeting with my boss; while I spoke to her about my current projects, she faced her computer and messaged another colleague the whole time. For her, this was multitasking; for me, it felt like what I had to say wasn't worth her full attention. When I was told in my review later that year that I was not good at multitasking, I thought, "fine by me!" and left the company shortly thereafter.
Our understanding of multitasking has changed a lot in the last 20 years. We now know that when we "multitask," we are actually task-switching very quickly. ADHD brains are often impacted by inattention and crave novelty. A great CHADD article on multitasking looks at several studies, including one at Stanford. They state, "The Stanford researchers also found that the more people are interrupted, especially when novelty was involved, the shorter their attention spans become."
The article goes on to state, "Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.” I remember an early NAPO meeting I went to where a presenter said: "Multitasking is like doing it drunk!" That really stuck with me.
Lately, I have been enjoying taking walks in San Francisco without my phone so I can truly enjoy the experience. Without distractions, I now see things like a beautiful Victorian I have never noticed before, or the time I saw two coyotes running down the street. If my head had been buried in my phone or if I had been listening to a podcast, I think I would have missed those moments. Giving ourselves permission to do just one thing can be delicious and reconnect us with the world and others.
For more tips for living with ADHD, check out adhdawarenessmonth.org.
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