Think you can Multitask...Think again.
If you are like most people, you feel more accomplished when you are working on more than one task at one time. In fact, you may think you are getting much more done than if you only focused on one thing at a time.  Guess what, you are wrong.  This may be the first time you have heard it or maybe heard you've heard it before and didn't pay attention or, maybe you are like me and so many others who have heard it and just thought we were special and could get way more done by multitasking. 

After looking at some of the latest research I am now a convert and am here to tell you why. First I need to dispel the myth that humans can multi-task. Computers can do it...we can not, plain and simple.  While my computer is able to have numerous windows running programs simultaneously, our brain engages in really fast task-switching.  To go between tasks, our brain has to turn "off" the first task and its corresponding set of rules then turn "on" the new task and populate a different set of rules.  The more complex the task, the more arduous the change.  It turns out there is a huge downside to multitasking.

Loss of Productivity. It takes more time to get tasks done when you switch from one task to another rather than doing one at a time. Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is far less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers also found those who regularly engage in several forms of electronic information at a time lack the attention and recall ability of their counterparts who work on one task at a time. Every time we switch tasks it may only take a fraction of a second but if you attempt this constantly throughout the day it can decrease your overall productivity by more than 40%.

Poor Quality. Not only does multitasking take more time, switching tasks increases the likelihood of errors.  Amount of time and number of errors both increase in direct proportion with the complexity of the task.  Recently a Harvard Medical School Blog highlighted an incident where a physician become distracted by a text message and incorrectly entered a patient's medicine into the computer.  

IQ and Learning.  A University of London Study contends that attempting to multitask can essentially lower your IQ by up to 15 points. This means that for someone with an average IQ of 100, you are close to the mental capacity of an of an 8 year old child.  In fact multitasking is directly correlated with smaller Gray-Matter density in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex which falls directly in line with similar UCLA Study findings stating that multitasking negatively affects the learning process.

...But There is Hope for Us

Luckily there is something we can do.  If we follow the steps below we can break the habit.

1. First we have to accept it....realize that you are trying to multi-task and it is not effective.  This may be the toughest step, but it is necessary if you want to make a change.  Like any addiction, it won't be easy coming down from the dopamine rush of seeing next tweet, facebook post, email or text. Realizing you aren't directing the full power of your focus where you want it, changes everything.
2. Define what task is most important and work on it first.  Many highly productive people only allow themselves 2 or 3 important tasks all day while giving each their full attention. One reason many feel the need to multi-task is secondary to the sense of urgency that kicks in as the day passes without much progress to our list.  Then we feel the need to rush a bunch of tasks to feel accomplished.  If we simply focus on our top item before moving on to the next, we will have at least accomplished our top priority and the urge to multitask will be diminished.
3. Do less.   At first this may seem counter intuitive, but there is a reason many highly effective people only focus on a few tasks per day...most of the other tasks really don't matter.  Use The Paredo Principle...I learned this and the next lesson from one of my favorite authors, Tim Ferriss, who wrote The 4-Hour Work Week.  He introduced me to the 80/20 rule.  It states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.  It holds true in most areas of life.  In our case we are interested in it's converse ... 20% of the effort to obtain 80% of the results.  As humans, we often mistake being busy for being effective.  The reverse is actually true...the busier we get the more multi-tasking we do and less effective we become.  Focus on the top 20% of your tasks, do them first and do them one at a time...you will get 80% of the results.
4. Focus your time and "batch process".  Do the exact opposite of multitasking.  Batch similar tasks together and designate time for that project.  Oftentimes I find myself sitting at my desk doing research when an email notification pops up and what do I do...and what do you do?...answer it.  If that isn't bad enough...we don't just answer that one, we view a few more and get sucked down the rabbit hole only to emerge an hour later with our "important" task uncompleted.  For this reason Tim Ferriss recommends turning off all notifications and batching your email to review and answer at set times during the day.  If you are really bold you can answer email like him...once per day or less.  Don't stop with email either.   Batch your phone calls, texting, voicemail or anything else that routinely distracts you during the day.  
5. Unplug.  You don't have to go "off the grid" or take a silent retreat to benefit.  Simply take a few hours per day or perhaps one day per week to go without internet, tv, phone--you know, those things that constantly distract us and steal our focus.  See the benefits yourself! For me, the first thing I noticed is that I automatically task-switch less simply because I have less to distract me.  I focused on the task for much longer than I normally would. From trying this, I found that frantically switching between tasks takes a lot of energy, increases errors, and wastes time.  

For me when I'm exhausted, making errors and wasting time, I am more anxious, agitated, unhappy and generally not pleasant to be around.  This truly is a case of Less really being More...Much More!