The big deal about multitasking

Studies show that only 2% of multitaskers can do their work effectively. The rest tear their hair out while wondering if the panic attack is a heart attack. It just doesn't work for the majority.

You are not a machine

A computer, with its extremely capable processor and gigabytes of unfailing memory, slows down when you load it up with too many tasks at the same time. The human brain, while incomparable to a computer in terms of sheer potential, is oftentimes forgetful and just as easily strained.

If you're a dedicated multitasker, you'll notice how you're always tired, have frequent headaches and you'll be shocked at the number of things you've been forgetting lately.

Coping with the stress of multitasking, your brain farts will rise exponentially in number and at one point, you will lose your focus on tasks that don't require multitasking at all. Know thy abilities, plan and execute efficiently instead of trusting the bloated ego that's telling you you're a machine and that you can push yourself harder.

Multitasking = Productivity?

Nope. Focusing on more than one thing decreases your productivity by 40% and lowers your IQ by 10 points, according to Harvard Business Review.

While multitasking, you may feel you are being extremely productive, but in truth, you're trying to minimize the effects of your unproductivity throughout the week. If you had taken the work one at a time and finished them off, you could have taken on something new and been ultimately more productive. Studies show that the human brain can't handle more than one task at a time. Even though we think we're multitasking, our brains are actually switching rapidly between tasks. (The Myth of Multitasking. Scientific America. 2009, July.)

False hope

Just because you managed to finish a ton of work that day and had time left for more, doesn't mean you should take on more work next time and multitask your way through every week. A study at the University of Utah confirmed this, as the participants who multitasked often, performed worse in the cognitive tests compared to those who rarely multitasked. So if you think doing everything together makes you sharper and better at anything, then you're wrong. It does exactly the opposite.

I'm a student and this article is not helping me at all

Students are the worst affected. Those who text while doing homework are more likely to face academic impairment and frequent begging trips to the faculty office. People generally start multitasking around the age of 15, and the way you relax, socialize, do your assignments, participate in class and study for exams determines how well you do in university and how you perform in the workplace. Start managing your life and learn how to handle tasks as early as you can, because it can mean the difference between a successful career and being a self-proclaimed poet, wandering the streets, penniless. 

But can I take breaks?

That's another word for distraction. Multitasking pros don't let themselves be distracted. Listening to music and taking frequent Facebook or smoke breaks mid-task will drastically reduce your abilities to keep working after you're done with the break. In most cases, its best to power through a single task, then take a break before moving on to another portion of the job. For creative people, music usually helps to get the "creative flow" going, and there have been scientific studies to show this is fact. However, beware, Megadeth and Metallica scramble your thought processes instead of organizing them in a single file. Try Mozart, Bach or something soothing.

Don't put it on your CV

"Able to handle several tasks at once and do brilliantly at all of them", says almost every CV (in one form or another) that employers have to look at.

Managing several tasks at the same time brings down the quality of the work all across the board, and that's the impression you do not want to give off.

On top of all that, almost everyone can multitask to some level and do fairly well at first. If everyone can do it, what sets you apart from the crowd? Who knows, maybe your ability to take one thing at a time and doing a brilliant job of it IS what your strong point is. If you think that's the case and you can convince potential employers that your ability to completely focus yourself is a valuable skill, then by all means, leave the "amazing multitasking abilities" out of your CV. 

N.B: No other tasks were hurt or ignored in the making of this article. Mostly because the writer forgot about the other tasks and only remembered this assignment.