Multitasking: Definition, Examples, Tips, Myths, Pros and Cons

In today’s busy world, multitasking has become the norm, but how effective is it really? From managing emails during meetings to juggling multiple roles at home and work, we often find ourselves trying to do it all.

But can our brains truly handle it? In this blog, we’ll explore deep into the science of multitasking, explore its benefits and pitfalls, and offer practical tips to improve your skills. Plus, we’ll highlight insights from Strugbits Unplugged , where we discuss multitasking’s impact on productivity and mental health. Ready to find out if multitasking is helping—or hurting—you?

Let’s explore!

What is Multitasking, and Why is it Important?

Multitasking means doing more than one task at the same time or switching between tasks quickly. Nowadays, it’s become a common way to handle busy workdays, house chores, and even learning. 

But multitasking isn’t just about being busy—it’s about managing time, staying productive, and adapting to changing demands. It plays a big role in career growth, especially in jobs that require quick thinking and juggling responsibilities. Whether you’re a parent, a student, or a business owner, learning how to multitask wisely can help you get more done, without burning out. But is it always helpful?

Let’s find out.

How Multitasking Differs from Task-Switching

Multitasking is often confused with task-switching, but there’s a key difference. When we multitask, we actively perform two or more tasks simultaneously, often requiring less cognitive effort. 

On the other hand, task-switching involves jumping between tasks quickly, which can reduce productivity. This rapid switching can lead to mental fatigue and a decrease in efficiency.

Understanding the difference between these two is crucial for managing your workload effectively. To learn more about multitasking, check out our Strugbits Unplugged episode, where we dive into the science behind how our brain handles multiple tasks!

Examples of Multitasking in Everyday Life

Multitasking has become essential to our daily routines as we strive to manage multiple responsibilities at once. 

While it can be tempting to juggle several tasks to save time, it’s important to consider how effectively we’re actually completing these tasks. Below are some common examples of multitasking in different areas of life:

At Work: Handling Emails While Attending Meetings

One of the most common multitasking scenarios at work is handling emails during meetings. With the constant flow of emails, it’s easy to feel like we need to respond to them right away. In meetings, many individuals multitask by reading or replying to emails while listening to the conversation or participating in discussions. 

While this may seem efficient, research shows that it can reduce focus and lead to mistakes. When our attention is divided, we may miss key details of the meeting or fail to respond to emails with the level of thoughtfulness they deserve.

At Home: Cooking While Helping Kids with Homework

At home, multitasking often involves managing multiple household responsibilities at once. For parents, one common example is cooking dinner while helping children with their homework. While this may seem like a time-saver, it can become overwhelming and counterproductive. 

Cooking requires attention to detail to avoid burning food or missing important steps, while assisting with homework requires focus to ensure children are learning properly. Dividing your attention between these tasks can lead to mistakes in both, potentially causing stress and making it harder to manage everything effectively.

In Learning: Listening to Audiobooks While Exercising

Multitasking in learning is becoming more popular with the rise of audiobooks and podcasts. Many people listen to audiobooks or educational podcasts while exercising, commuting, or doing chores. 

This can be a great way to make use of time when you're physically engaged in something that doesn’t require much mental effort. However, the effectiveness of multitasking like this depends on the complexity of the material. 

Simple content, such as a story or light podcast, may not require much focus, allowing you to absorb information while exercising. But if you’re listening to complex material, such as a technical book or lecture, the exercise may distract you from your ability to fully absorb or comprehend the content.

In Business: Managing Social Media While Running a Company

Entrepreneurs and small business owners often find themselves multitasking by managing their company’s social media while running the core operations of the business. This could mean posting updates, responding to customer comments, and tracking performance metrics, all while juggling other tasks like managing employees, handling finances, or developing new products. 

While this kind of multitasking can seem like a necessity to stay on top of things, it can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Social media management requires creativity, focus, and engagement, and when combined with other high-priority business tasks, it can result in missed opportunities or mistakes in both areas.

Essential Multitasking Skills

While multitasking might seem like a simple act of doing more than one thing at a time, effective multitasking requires several key skills to avoid getting overwhelmed and to ensure that tasks are completed successfully.

Here are four essential multitasking skills that are important for managing multiple tasks efficiently:

1. Time Management

One of the most crucial skills for multitasking is effective time management. When juggling multiple tasks, it’s easy to lose track of time or get caught up in one task for too long. Time management helps ensure that you allocate enough time for each task and that you're not rushing through important responsibilities.

Good time management includes:

• Setting specific time blocks for each task.

• Avoid distractions by creating focused work periods.

• Using tools like calendars, reminders, or time-tracking apps to stay organized.

By managing your time wisely, you can ensure that each task receives adequate attention without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of deadlines or competing responsibilities.

1. Prioritization and Organization

Prioritization and organization are crucial when you're juggling multiple tasks at once. Multitasking without a clear plan can lead to confusion and mistakes. The ability to prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency ensures that you're focusing on what matters most at any given moment.

To prioritize and stay organized, you can:

• Create a to-do list or a task management system that ranks tasks by importance.

• Break tasks into smaller steps, so they seem less overwhelming and easier to manage.

• Use methods like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks based on urgency and importance, helping you decide what to do first.

When tasks are organized and prioritized, you can handle them one by one without becoming distracted by less important responsibilities.

1. Focus and Attention Control

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of multitasking is maintaining focus. When switching between tasks, our brains can struggle to fully concentrate on one thing at a time, which can reduce the quality of our work. Effective multitasking requires strong focus and attention control.

To improve your focus, try the following techniques:

• Limit distractions by turning off notifications or creating a distraction-free workspace.

• Practice mindfulness to enhance your ability to stay present and engaged with the task at hand.

• Set clear goals for each task to maintain your focus and avoid unnecessary task-switching.

Maintaining focus while multitasking ensures that you're not just doing multiple things at once but that you’re doing them efficiently and with a high level of quality.

1. Cognitive Flexibility and Adaptability

Cognitive flexibility is the mental ability to switch between different tasks or adapt your thinking to new situations. It’s a vital skill for multitasking because it allows you to adjust quickly when priorities change or unexpected challenges arise. Cognitive flexibility helps you stay calm and efficient when juggling multiple tasks, even if things don’t go as planned.

To improve cognitive flexibility, you can:

• Practice problem-solving by challenging yourself with new and varied tasks.

• Stay open-minded and embrace changes in your schedule or priorities.

• Learn to switch tasks without getting stuck in one train of thought, which allows you to easily transition to new tasks when needed.

The ability to adapt to different tasks, people, and situations is critical in multitasking, especially when managing a wide variety of activities simultaneously.

Mastering these skills will help you multitask more effectively and with less mental strain. Strugbits  Unplugged dives into the psychology of multitasking and how you can improve your multitasking abilities by focusing on these key areas.

Multitasking Tests to Practice

To truly improve your multitasking abilities, you need to measure how well you handle multiple tasks at once. Various tests and exercises can help you assess your multitasking efficiency and enhance your cognitive flexibility. Here are some practical ways to test and practice multitasking:

1. Online Tests to Measure Multitasking Efficiency

Online tests are an easy way to measure how effectively you can manage multiple tasks simultaneously. These tests often simulate real-world multitasking situations, challenging you to switch between tasks or process different types of information at once.

Some popular online multitasking tests include:

• Dual-tasking tests: These involve performing two different tasks at once, such as solving a math problem while listening to a series of numbers. The goal is to see how well you can handle the complexity of juggling two unrelated tasks.

• Simulated work tasks: These tests might involve managing emails, making decisions, and answering questions while navigating through a work scenario. They often have time constraints and may assess your reaction time, accuracy, and decision-making speed.

• Cognitive task-switching: This type of test measures your ability to switch between tasks without losing performance. For example, you might need to read a passage and summarize it while also answering a series of multiple-choice questions.

Some platforms that offer these tests include BrainBashers and PsychCentral. Many online apps or platforms, such as Lumosity or Peak, also provide cognitive training that includes multitasking challenges. These can help track your progress and pinpoint areas where you need improvement.

1. Simple Exercises to Improve Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is crucial for effective multitasking because it allows you to switch between different types of tasks with ease. While multitasking tests can help you gauge your current abilities, simple exercises can help you improve cognitive flexibility over time.

Here are a few exercises that can boost your cognitive flexibility:

• Task-Switching Exercises: Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and alternate between two different activities every 2-3 minutes. For example, you can write a paragraph on a topic, then switch to solving a math problem, then return to writing, and so on. This will help you practice switching between tasks without losing your focus or accuracy.

• Memory Training: Cognitive flexibility is closely tied to memory. Exercises like memory card games, where you match pairs of cards, or digit-span exercises (reciting a string of numbers backward) can improve both short-term memory and the ability to switch between different tasks quickly.

• Learn a New Skill: Taking on a new skill or hobby that requires both learning and practice can help improve your multitasking ability. For instance, learning a musical instrument or a new language forces your brain to manage multiple streams of information at once, helping your cognitive flexibility grow.

• Mind Mapping: Create a mind map to organize your thoughts and tasks. Doing this forces your brain to make connections and switch between ideas or projects efficiently. A mind map of tasks that need to be done in a day, with sub-tasks linked to each major task, can help you practice managing multiple items at once.

The key to improving cognitive flexibility is regular practice. The more you challenge your brain with tasks that require switching focus, the better you’ll become at managing multiple activities simultaneously.

1. How to Test Your Ability to Handle Multiple Tasks Under Pressure

When you're multitasking under pressure, it's not just about completing tasks but also about maintaining performance quality despite stress. Testing your ability to handle tasks under pressure involves creating scenarios that simulate high-stress situations where multitasking is required. Here’s how to do it:

• Timed Multitasking Challenges: Set a timer to complete a list of tasks within a set period. For example, handle several tasks like responding to emails, making a phone call, and organizing files—each task requiring different skills. Time yourself and track how well you complete each task. Repeat this exercise while decreasing the available time to increase pressure.

• Stressful Simulations: To simulate multitasking under pressure, add an element of urgency to each task. You can create a stress-free environment by listening to music that mimics a busy workplace or using a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency. Try to complete different activities (e.g., answering emails, making phone calls, and solving problems) while time is ticking away.

• Workplace Scenarios: Use real-life work scenarios to test your multitasking abilities. For example, try handling a team meeting while keeping an eye on incoming emails or messages. Or try scheduling a project meeting while answering urgent client inquiries. This will give you a better sense of how well you can handle multiple tasks at once while maintaining focus on each.

• The "Multi-Tasker’s Test": This involves setting up a series of tasks that require quick thinking and rapid decision-making. For example, you could watch a video while responding to live questions on social media or follow along with an online course while answering customer inquiries. This test will help you see how you handle tasks that require both attention and quick decision-making.

Is Multitasking a Myth?

Multitasking is often praised as a productivity booster, but research suggests that it’s not always as effective as we think. Studies show that the human brain isn't designed to focus on multiple tasks at once. Instead, when multitasking, we are switching between tasks rapidly, which can reduce efficiency and increase the likelihood of errors.

1. The Difference Between Effective and Ineffective Multitasking

Effective multitasking occurs when tasks are complementary or don't require heavy cognitive load. For example, you can listen to a podcast while doing light housework. Ineffective multitasking happens when tasks require similar cognitive effort, such as trying to write a report while attending a meeting. This often results in lower quality and more mistakes.

1. Common Myths vs. Reality

Myth: Multitasking saves time.

• Reality: It often leads to more time spent on tasks due to frequent switching and lower quality of work.

Myth: Multitasking is always productive.

• Reality: In many cases, multitasking can lead to distractions, errors, and increased stress.

Myth: Multitasking is a skill everyone can master.

• Reality: Not everyone is naturally good at multitasking, and some tasks are better handled one at a time.

To learn more about multitasking myths and how to manage tasks more effectively, check out Strugbits Unplugged !

The Pros and Cons of Multitasking

While multitasking offers some benefits, it also has its drawbacks. Let’s explore both sides.

Pros

• Increases Efficiency: In certain situations, multitasking allows you to get more done in less time.

• Helps Manage Time-Sensitive Tasks: Multitasking is often necessary when dealing with time-sensitive deadlines.

• Boosts Adaptability and Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to juggle multiple tasks can enhance your adaptability in fast-paced environments.

Cons

• Reduces Focus and Accuracy: Switching between tasks often leads to mistakes or subpar work.

• Increases Stress and Mental Fatigue: Juggling too many things at once can increase cognitive load and lead to burnout.

• Lower-Quality Work: Multitasking can result in decreased quality, especially for complex tasks that require focus.

Is Multitasking Bad for You?

Multitasking might seem like an efficient way to get things done, but it can have negative effects on both the brain and mental health. Here's how:

1. How Multitasking Affects the Brain and Memory

When we multitask, the brain constantly switches between tasks. This rapid switching can overload the brain, impairing its ability to store new information, which can lead to forgetfulness. It also affects memory consolidation, making it harder to retain details from each task, ultimately slowing down overall productivity.

1. The Impact on Mental Health and Stress Levels

Multitasking often increases stress levels because the brain is trying to manage multiple things at once. This constant juggling of tasks can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, burned out, and anxious. Research has shown that multitasking is linked to higher levels of stress and lower well-being due to the mental load it creates.

1. When Multitasking is Beneficial vs. When it Becomes Harmful

Multitasking can be beneficial when tasks are routine and don't require deep cognitive focus, such as folding laundry while listening to a podcast. However, it becomes harmful when multitasking involves complex or critical tasks. Trying to answer emails during a meeting or drafting an important report while on a call can lower the quality of work and increase the chances of mistakes.

How to Get Better at Multitasking

Improving your multitasking skills involves adopting strategies that help you manage multiple tasks more efficiently without compromising quality.

1. Practical Strategies to Improve Multitasking Skills

To multitask better, it’s essential to prioritize tasks based on urgency and complexity. Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces and focus on completing them in stages. It’s also helpful to practice time management techniques that keep you organized and focused.

1. The Pomodoro Technique and Task Batching

The Pomodoro Technique involves working in short, focused intervals (usually 25 minutes), followed by short breaks. This method helps you maintain focus while also giving your brain time to rest. Task batching involves grouping similar tasks together, like answering all emails at once or handling phone calls during a specific block of time. Both techniques help you manage multiple tasks without overwhelming yourself.

1. How Mindfulness Can Improve Focus While Multitasking

Mindfulness, the practice of staying present in the moment, can improve multitasking by enhancing focus. When you practice mindfulness, you're better able to direct your attention to the task at hand, which helps reduce distractions and improve productivity. Incorporating mindful breathing and meditation into your routine can improve your ability to focus during multitasking.

1. Tools and Apps to Help Manage Multiple Tasks

There are many tools and apps designed to help manage multiple tasks. Apps like Trello and Asana can help you organize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Tools like RescueTime can help monitor your time spent on various tasks, allowing you to evaluate your productivity and make improvements.

Managing Multiple Time-Intensive Careers

Entrepreneurs, artists, and professionals often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities—essentially managing multiple time-intensive careers . Here's how they make it work:

1. How Entrepreneurs, Artists, and Professionals Juggle Multiple Roles

Managing several careers requires impeccable time management and adaptability. Many successful multitaskers use time-blocking techniques, setting aside specific hours for different roles. 

Entrepreneurs may dedicate mornings to client work, afternoons to business development, and evenings to creative pursuits. Artists may spend mornings painting, afternoons handling business logistics, and evenings collaborating with other creatives.

1. Time-Blocking Techniques to Balance Different Careers

Time-blocking is a technique where you schedule specific periods of time for each task or responsibility. This helps prevent task overlap and ensures that each career or responsibility gets the attention it deserves. 

For example, you might block out mornings for deep work, afternoons for meetings or calls, and evenings for personal time.

1. Real-Life Examples of Successful Multitaskers

One notable example is Elon Musk, who manages multiple high-profile ventures, including Tesla and SpaceX. He attributes his ability to juggle multiple careers to effective time management and careful prioritization. 

Similarly, Oprah Winfrey has successfully balanced her media empire, philanthropic efforts, and personal life by using time-blocking and delegation to manage her responsibilities.

How Family Contributes to Success

Family plays a crucial role in career and personal achievements. Here's how family support can make a difference—and truly show how family contributes to success  in the long run.

1. The Role of Family Support in Career and Personal Achievements

A supportive family provides emotional stability and a sense of balance. Many successful individuals credit their families for helping them manage the stresses of their careers.

Family members often serve as sounding boards for ideas, offer advice, and provide encouragement when things get tough. Having a strong support system can lead to greater success in both personal and professional spheres.

1. How a Balanced Home Life Helps Manage Multiple Responsibilities

A balanced home life allows for better time management between work and personal life. When you have a stable home environment, you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed by external pressures, which enables you to focus on your work with greater efficiency. Successful multitaskers know the importance of carving out time for family and self-care.

Learn Multitasking with Loulita Gill

When it comes to real multitasking magic, Loulita Gill is the name to know—balancing music, career, and family like a pro.

If you’ve seen her on Strugbits Unplugged, you already know she makes multitasking look not just possible but powerful. So, let’s learn learn multitasking with Loulita Gill !

1. Who is Loulita Gill, and How Does She Manage Multiple Roles?

Loulita Gill is a singer-songwriter, business owner, worship leader, and full-time mom who balances her roles with intention and heart. She’s honest about the highs and lows and doesn’t glamorize the grind. Her days blend parenting, songwriting, and client work—yet never feel chaotic. 

The key? She practices intentional multitasking. Instead of doing everything at once, she gives full focus to what matters most in the moment, using time blocks, boundaries, and creative flow to keep life moving with purpose.

1. Key Lessons from Her Experience in Juggling Music, Work, and Life

Loulita’s multitasking success isn’t about being superhuman. It’s about being super clear on priorities, values, and time management. Here are some of the lessons that came up in our podcast with her:

1. Set clear boundariesShe’s not afraid to say no when something doesn’t align with her goals or values. That’s powerful. Whether it’s declining extra work or carving out sacred time for songwriting, her clarity gives her the ability to protect her energy.

2. Work with your natural rhythmLoulita doesn’t force herself to be creative on demand. She builds her work schedule around her most productive times of day. When she’s feeling creative, she leans into music. When it’s admin time, she switches gears. This helps her stay in flow, not frustration.

3. Involve family in the journeyShe integrates her family into her creative and work life so it doesn’t feel like a tug-of-war. Her kids sometimes join her in studio sessions or ask about her projects, which keeps things connected and grounded.

4. Simplify and delegate when neededShe knows she can’t do it all—and she doesn’t try to. Whether it’s outsourcing design work or using tools to automate parts of her business, Loulita embraces help so she can stay focused on what she does best.

5. Protect creative spaceCreativity needs space, and she guards that space fiercely. That might mean blocking off time for songwriting or simply unplugging from social media to recharge. She understands that multitasking doesn’t mean doing everything at once—it means managing multiple passions with purpose.

How to Apply Her Strategies to Your Own Multitasking Journey

Whether you’re balancing a 9-to-5 job with a side hustle, managing parenting with personal growth, or trying to juggle business tasks with creative projects, Loulita’s strategies can work for you, too. Here’s how to start:

1. Know your “why” for each role: Write down why each part of your life matters to you. When you’re clear on the value each role brings, you’ll be better at deciding where your time and energy go.

2. Try time-blocking like Loulita: Break your day into intentional chunks—mornings for deep work, afternoons for admin, evenings for family or rest. This helps avoid overlap and burnout.

3. Be flexible, but focused: Life happens. Kids get sick, meetings run over, energy dips. Instead of trying to push through every task on your list, learn to pivot without guilt—just like Loulita does. Stay focused on the outcome, not the chaos.

4. Use tools to help you stay on track: Loulita uses digital tools and checklists to simplify her workflow. You can use apps like Todoist, Notion, Trello, or Google Calendar to plan and track your tasks so they don’t overwhelm you.

5. Make time for creative recharge: If you’re in a creative field (or just a creative thinker), set aside time to do something fun and expressive. It could be journaling, painting, playing music—whatever refuels you. Like Loulita, you’ll find that creativity spills into every other area of your life.

6. Accept that some days will be messy: Not every day will go perfectly—and that’s okay. What matters is consistency over perfection. Loulita doesn’t aim to be flawless, she just aims to be faithful to her values and passions.

Want More? Hear It From Loulita Herself

We covered all this and more on our Strugbits Unplugged podcast episode featuring Loulita Gill. It’s not just a conversation—it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how real people make multitasking work. She shares powerful takeaways that you can start applying today—whether you're a busy parent, a side hustler, a creative, or a business owner.

🎧 Watch the episode now , and take notes because her insights might just change how you look at your day.

Conclusion: Final Thoughts on Multitasking

Multitasking is a skill that, when mastered, can help you manage your workload, career, and personal life. However, it’s important to understand when multitasking is beneficial and when it can cause more harm than good. By practicing mindfulness, improving focus, and utilizing effective strategies, you can become a more efficient multitasker.

And if you’re looking for more in-depth insights, check out our episode of Strugbits Unplugged, where we discuss the science behind multitasking, share practical tips, and explore how multitasking affects productivity and mental health.

Now, remember: multitask wisely, and know when to focus on one task at a time for the best results!

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is the definition of multitasking?

Multitasking means doing more than one task at the same time or switching quickly between tasks. It can involve physical actions, mental focus, or both—like answering emails while attending a Zoom meeting. It’s all about managing multiple responsibilities at once.

2. Why is multitasking important in the workplace?

In today’s fast-paced work environments, multitasking can help professionals handle urgent requests, balance meetings with emails, and stay on top of shifting priorities. It allows for better time management and can make workflows smoother—especially in roles that involve communication, tech, or customer service.

3. Does multitasking cause dementia?

There’s no clear evidence that multitasking causes dementia. However, research shows that frequent multitasking—especially with digital media—can reduce attention span, memory retention, and mental focus over time. So, while it doesn’t directly lead to dementia, it may impact how well your brain handles information, especially as you age.

4. Which is better: mindfulness or multitasking?

It depends on the situation. Multitasking is useful when tasks are simple or routine. But for deep work or creative thinking, mindfulness wins. Practicing mindfulness—being fully present with one task at a time—can improve focus, reduce stress, and boost the quality of your work. The trick? Use both wisely.

5. How to improve multitasking?

To get better at multitasking, start by improving your focus, organizing your time, and practicing cognitive flexibility. Techniques like the Pomodoro method, time-blocking, and using to-do lists can help. You can also use multitasking tests and exercises to train your brain to switch tasks more smoothly without losing accuracy.