You pride yourself on juggling many different tasks at once, answering emails, listening to your favorite podcast, and checking items off your to-do list. This is all done while adding up steps on your mini walking app. It feels productive and efficient, but beneath the surface, your brain is working overtime.

It might seem like a great 8 to get a lot done at once, but research has shown that our brains are not nearly as good at handling multiple tasks as we think. Some research suggests that multitasking can hamper your productivity by reducing your comprehension, attention, and overall performance.

1. What is it that makes multitasking such a productivity killer? It might seem like you are accomplishing multiple things at the same time, but what you are really doing is quickly shifting your attention and focus from one thing to the next, a process that psychologists call task switching. Shifting from one task to another may make it difficult to tune out distractions and cause mental blocks that can slow you down.

Our brains lack the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time, in moments where we think we’re multitasking, we’re likely just switching quickly from task to task.

2. Focusing on a single task is a much more effective approach for several reasons. For one it is distracting.

Multitaskers may feel more distracted than people who focus on one task at a time. This makes sense when you consider that, by habit, multitaskers constantly refocus on a new task, effectively distracting themselves from their original assignment.

This can be a big problem if you’re a person who struggles with attention and memory problems. It’s also why sometimes you switch to another task and then forget what you were working on in the first place. It also slows us down. While it may seem contrary to popular belief, we tend to work slower and less efficiently when we multitask.

Changing our focus also keeps us from relying on automatic behaviors to finish tasks quickly. Thia is what is meant to be in life. When we’re focused on a single task that we’ve done before, we can work on “autopilot,” which frees up mental resources. Switching back and forth bypasses this process, and we tend to work more slowly as a result.

While multitasking might sometimes help you crank out tasks before a deadline, you might find that you’re more likely to make mistakes. Multitasking may lower your performance and make you more prone to making mistakes.

While multitasking makes it easier to get to the end of your to-do list, doing it habitually can come with a cost. Multitasking causes fatigue and increases stress and can even hurt our relationships.

In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking has become second nature. Between work emails, social media, and household demands, it’s no surprise that relationships often get squeezed into the margins.

Using our phones during quality time with their significant other. This split attention isn’t just a bad habit, it’s a growing norm. But while multitasking might feel productive, it often leaves others feeling ignored or undervalued and causes emotional disconnect.

When one person is physically present but mentally elsewhere, the emotional toll adds up. Imagine a dinner where one person is half-listening while checking notifications. That lack of presence sends a subtle message: you’re not the priority. Over time, these micro-moments of neglect can breed resentment or loneliness.

The work-from-home culture has blurred boundaries further. Many bring laptops to bed or answer calls during family time and time with friends, merging professional and personal together, but there is a way to change it.

Reversing the damage of multitasking relationships starts with intentional habits. Set clear boundaries, like no devices after 8 p.m. Create tech-free zones in the bedroom or at the dinner table. Schedule short, focused check-ins with others to rebuild trust. If work demands intrude, communicate openly about when you’ll be fully present. These small steps don’t require a lifestyle overhaul, just a commitment to prioritizing connection over convenience.

Look for red flags: frequent arguments about attention, feeling unheard, or a sense of growing distance. If your partner seems more engaged with their screen than with you, it’s time for a candid talk. Acknowledging the issue is the first step. Ignoring it risks deeper cracks that are harder to mend down the line within our relationships.

Multitasking relationships might seem like a modern necessity, but they come with a hidden price. The data and stories are clear, divided attention chips away at your relationships.

Start small, stay consistent, and put each other first. In a world of endless distractions, we can start by looking goals and rules.

Goal shifting is the process in which we shift our attention from one task to another. Rule activation is the process in which the brain completes a given task and identifies what it needs to do. Essentially, our brains will turn off the rules for the previous task and turn on the rules for the new task depending upon the goal. These stages do not work simultaneously, but rather in a linear reaction, focus to activation and repeat.

This process occurs within a tenth of a second and without our awareness. Although it may seem like a negligible amount, the time adds up. Much like flicking a light on and off at a rapid pace, we are left feeling literally burned out.

So, what can we do to spare ourselves from mental exhaustion yet still remain efficient with our time? Here are some helpful tips:

1. Resist the temptation to divert attention

Is something pulling your attention elsewhere? Write it down and give yourself a later time to tend to that task. This way, it is out of your mind and you can remain focused on your current task at hand. At first, this can be challenging, but after some practice, this will get easier.

     2. Set a time allotment for the given task.

Assigning yourself firm parameters for a specific task will help you remain focused to complete the task before being tempted to switch to another. If the other task continues to tempt you, give it a start time so you have something to look forward to.

    3. Set reasonable expectations

Before eagerly agreeing to do something, take a moment to consider what is already on your plate.

Often, it’s our desire to “people please” that puts us in a situation in which our own priorities are placed on the back burner in order to attend to the requested task. Although it can be a fantastic feeling to help someone and produce immediate results, you must question if that is your own expectation or that of the person asking. Take a moment to think about a reasonable timeframe to complete the task while not neglecting your other responsibilities.

The chaos that can ensue from multitasking can be alleviated when we spend our time intentionally single-tasking. Rather than feeling drained and unproductive, we will feel more accomplished and efficient, find time for yourself and with others, and still have the energy to spare one relationship at a time.