Multitasking Can Worsen Your Memory?

As I sat there, he looked around the room and said something that made me never want to multi-task again. We were waiting to hear some magical tricks and walk out feeling like thug-life memes, but the Guinness Record Holder and Grandmaster of Memory gave us one tip to boosting brain power and getting great memory - stop multi-tasking.

Now, for someone like me who used to pride herself in multi-tasking, and in a world where job applications require it, where mothers are praised for it, where we snigger and laugh at those who can’t multi-task, his advice felt like a curveball. Hang on, I came here to learn about boosting memory, so what’s multitasking got to do ... got to do with it? (We miss you Tina.)

Turns out, a lot.

Before I explain, do you know where the word multitasking comes from? It originated in the 1960s and was used to describe a function where computers were able to run multiple sets of instructions at the same time. The term multi-tasking was not coined for people, but for machines and soon became a necessary verb for the way we conduct our lives.

You might say, "But Shubh we multi-task all the time," and I'll say, "Yeah, you’re right we do." Not all multi-tasking is bad. You can listen to your favourite music while running, chat and brisk-walk with your friend, or chew gum while watching TV. These are alright, in fact they may even make you enjoy the activity even more, but the key is that these can be done almost intuitively, as they do not compete for the same cognitive functions at the same time.

But when you’re replying to a text from your husband while your friend is telling you about a problem at work, you’re trying to use the same brain functions that require sustained attention. These functions are best suited to do one thing at a time, but here you are trying to do multiple things - you’re listening to your friend’s story while also reading and hopefully logically responding to your husband.

According to a Stanford Memory Lab study, those who multi-tasked heavily, significantly under-performed on tasks that required memory and sustained attention, as compared to light multitaskers. So, if you’re trying to cook multiple dishes at once, or reply to emails while listening to a podcast, your brain is over-working the same functions and competing against itself to pay attention to everything all at once.

This slows the brain's processing, increases retention of inaccurate information, causes us to make more mistakes, and of course interferes with our long-term memory. If you’re driving and texting, it places you at a higher risk of an accident – no surprises there.

I want you to picture this. You’re in a class of 40 students and each of them come up to you one by one to take a piece of candy. It’s a smooth and systematic process. Now, imagine that you’re holding onto the candy container and all 40 kids rush to start grabbing the sweets. When done, you’re not going to be able to remember who took what, or how many. That’s kind of like multitasking does.

One of the biggest reasons we multi-task is to be more productive or to get more done in less time. But researchers estimate you lose up to 40% of your productivity if you multitask! In fact, many successful people refuse to multi-task. Jack Ma had said, “If there are nine rabbits on the ground and you want to catch one, just focus on one.”

So how can we catch that rabbit? Here’s three things you can try starting today to minimize multitasking and increase focus in your day.

1) Put Your Phone Away

Place your phone to the left, to the left. Okay, not necessarily to the left but out of easy reach or even behind your screen so it’s not in your line of vision. Phones are a double-edged sword - we need them but oh so distracting! The more your phone is in your line of vision and easy reach, the more you grab, unlock and it begins. Before you know it, you’ve gone down the rabbit hole of memes, motivational posts, and a video of a groundhog named Chunk who steals a farmer’s crops and eats them in front of the surveillance camera.

People wanting to focus and increase concentration also avoid using messaging apps and mute email or message pop-ups on their desktop until their task is completed. By reducing the distractions, you’re better able to focus on the task at hand and give it your undivided attention.

2) Use the Pomodoro Technique

Meaning “tomato” in Italian and invented in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the technique asks you to focus on a single task for 25 minutes. When the timer rings, take a five-minute break and get back to another pomodoro. After four tomatoes, take a 15-30 minute break. This is said to work because it avoids distractions and gives you clarity about where your time is going. If you’re a creative, this may give you the nudge to get started and you may end up getting into the zone and rhythm you need to keep going.

3) Ask Yourself, “Can This Wait?”

I had gotten into the habit of eating my breakfast while checking and replying to my emails. One day, hunger prevailed, and I decided to sit down and eat first. Halfway through my meal, I realised how peaceful it was and how long it had been since I simply sat down and enjoyed the taste and flavours of my breakfast and relishing those few moments along with this first meal of the day. I had been so busy (or feeding myself the illusion that I had to be busy) that I was missing out on little daily joys because I wasn’t savoring them anymore. So now, anytime there are multiple things to do, I hit a pause and ask, “Can this wait?” Usually, I find that it can.

Even though it’s been years since I walked out of that session with the Grandmaster of Memory, I tried that one tip to stop multi-tasking and it has made a big positive difference. And guess what? I still remember it!

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