Multitasking.
A fate worse than death.
It almost caused my kitchen to catch on fire this week.
I was home alone with the task of preparing a belated Cinco de Mayo meal. Earlier, I scolded my son for not paying attention and burning the meat which probably should have been foreshadowing for what happened next.
I put a few taco shells into the toaster oven and thought, “This would be a great time to make a phone call and book some upcoming travel.”
Bad idea.
Within minutes, the taco shells burst into flames, reaching all the way to the bottom of the kitchen cabinets, which, of course, are made of wood.
I freaked.
In my panic, I could not find the fire extinguisher, which was hanging right at eye level in the pantry. Fortunately, the flames died down quickly, but not before filling the kitchen with smoke, scorching the cabinets, removing paint, and completely destroying the tacos.
And honestly, the whole experience was a reminder of something we already know:
Multitasking is a myth.
Researchers continue to find that what we call multitasking is really “task switching,” and every switch comes with a mental cost. The American Psychological Association has reported that constant task switching reduces productivity, increases errors, and creates mental fatigue. Some studies suggest productivity can drop by as much as 40% when people constantly switch between tasks.
In business today, we are constantly interrupted by texts, emails, Slack messages, social media, meetings, and notifications. The average digital worker now switches between apps and websites hundreds of times a day.
No wonder people feel mentally exhausted.
And the damage is not just professional. It is relational.
Have you ever hurt a relationship because instead of truly listening to your spouse, a friend, or coworker, you were scrolling on your phone or answering an email?
Maybe one of your children felt ignored because while they were talking, you were watching television, listening to a podcast, or scanning headlines on your phone.
Or maybe, like me, your multitasking disaster did not involve another person. It involved something like flaming tacos.
This is why we pause.
This is why we focus on one thing, and one person, at a time.
This is why multitasking does not work.
Ask my tacos.
