Instead Of Doing All The Things, Try Monotasking

Multitasking — I do it, you do it, we all do it. It's pretty universal, whether you're flipping through tabs on your browser, scrolling your phone while watching TV, or sifting through your calendar even though you meant to send a text (but then realized you also wanted to check the weather). At first glance, multitasking seems efficient — aspirational, even. Things need to get done, and there are only 24 hours in a day. But, as it turns out, multitasking is actually terrible for us. And that's not exactly breaking news: One groundbreaking study dating back to 2001 (before the dawn of smartphones) found that switching between tasks can cost you time; others have found that it can drain your brain power, leading to mistakes.

That's why I've been focused on monotasking, aka doing one thing at a time. It's not that monotasking is innately beneficial, but more so that — as ample science shows — shifting attention can inadvertently sabotage you. With that in mind, consider these evidence-backed strategies that can keep you from switching attention in the first place.

Batch your notifications

I’ve been a longtime notification hater for years, and many of my loved ones will attest that to reach me in an emergency, you need to call, because my text notifications are off. But that changed once my kids’ daycare signed up with an app that informs me of the minutiae of their daily schedules. Now, I can drop whatever I’m doing to learn that my toddler learned to count up to the number 28, while my baby drank five ounces of milk an hour ago.

I could turn off the notifications for the app, sure — and that itself is helpful. In fact, research has found that disabling notifications for a single day led to better performance and less strain. But in order to not be a completely checked-out parent, I’ve started batching my notifications, meaning I check them all at once (usually on the hour) instead of reacting to every one-off ping. I’ve missed calls, yes, but I’ve also been able to focus on what I’m doing for longer stretches, which feels like a novelty these days.

Create if-then rules

In a perfect world, I could batch my email notifications, but a lot of my work is contingent on email. This is where batching my notifications may not work, but creating an "implementation intention” might; research shows it can help close the gap between wanting to do something and actually doing it.

An implementation intention means you set up the action to reach your goal as an if-then statement. So if your goal is to read a book without checking your phone, your intention can be, “If I finish this chapter in full, then I can see if I missed any texts.” It sounds painfully obvious, but try getting through a few pages without absentmindedly unlocking your phone.

Getting back to my inbox: If my goal is to create dedicated check-ins for my inbox, I could make a rule for myself: “If I finish writing an outline for this story, then I can create a tab to check my email.” It sounds granular, but as someone who tends to have open tabs numbering in the double digits, it’s just specific enough to work.

Practice, practice, and practice some more

Batching your notifications and creating action plans can help keep you on track without much effort on your part. But unfortunately, there is some effort involved, and by that I mean willpower. Willpower tends to be in short supply, and while it might seem easy to listen to a song in full or read 10 pages uninterrupted using sheer determination, it’s a lot harder in real life. (This is also setting aside the reality that I’m a parent; I have not listened to a song uninterrupted since 2023.)

But research has found that engaging in tasks that demand your undivided attention can improve the control processes in your brain, making paying attention feel easier over time — and less reliant on your willpower. I’ve been practicing it in my personal life, while lying on a playmat next to my baby or reading a book to my toddler. Not only do we all get some good bonding time, but it’s like flexing the attention-focused part of my brain, making it stronger each time.

Monotasking seems so simple that it’s almost kind of boring (which might explain why we feel programmed to multitask as it is). But once you clock how much time and brainpower you can save if you stop jumping from task to task, monotasking turns into the ultimate hack — and a way to make life more efficient and enjoyable.

Presented by BDG Studios