Latest / Deep Thoughts / How Multitasking Destroys Your Flow State

Transcript

How Multitasking Destroys Your Flow State · Deep Thoughts

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Deep Thoughts, a podcast designed to take you
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: on an introspective journey into the mindsets and strategies that
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: fuel personal growth. In every episode, we'll explore the intersection
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: of psychology, spirituality, and real world tactics, guiding you through
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: powerful methods to elevate your health, wealth, relationships, and overall
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: well being. From deep doves into transformative habits and mindsets
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: to candid discussions about the challenges we face in today's
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: fast paced world, Deep Thoughts is here to remind you
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: of the untapped potential that lies within. If you're ready
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: to disconnect from the distractions and connect with the tools
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: and insights needed to create lasting change, this show is
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: your sanctuary for self discovery and empowerment. Tune in, reflect,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: and take action towards a more vibrant and fulfilling life.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Today, we're tackling something I think we all struggle with, multitasking.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Is it really a superpower or is it a productivity killer?
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: Oooh good question.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: So get ready because apparently our brains might not work
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: the way we think they do.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: That's what's so fascinating about this, right, Like, we think
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: we've got it figured out, and you know, It's funny
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: we use the word multitasking like it's uh, like it's
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: something to be proud of.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: Oh, totally, like a badge of honor.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah, a badge of honor. But the truth is, for
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: most of us, it's more like task switching, and that
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: comes with a whole bunch of hidden costs.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: Okay, wait, so you're saying when I'm like answering emails
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: during a Zoom meeting, oh yeah, and trying to write
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: my grocery list at the same time. Yep, I'm not
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: actually doing those things simultaneously exactly.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: I mean, it feels like we are. It feels we're
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: doing all these things at once, but in reality, our
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: brands are just rapidly switching back and forth between these
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: different tasks. Forbes even reported that only a tiny percentage
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: of people, like two point five percent can truly multitask effectively.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Two point five percent. Okay, so I'm definitely not in
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: that elite group.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: So unless you suspect you're, you know, one of the chosen,
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: you're probably task switching too.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Okay, fine, so I'm not a multitasking superhero. But what's
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: the big deal with task switching? Like, is it really
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: that bad.
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: We'll think of it like this. Every time you switch
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: from one task to another, there's this thing called a
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: switch cost. Basically, your brain needs to reorient itself, you know,
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: got to pull up the right mental files for that
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: new task. And some research suggests that this switching back
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: and forth can actually zap on to forty percent of
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: your productive time.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Seriously.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's like hitting the pause button on your brain
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: over and over throughout the day.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: WHOA, that's a big chunk of time just gone, it is.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: And I'm guessing the more complex the tasks, the bigger
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: that that cost becomes.
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: Absolutely. Imagine like a driver who's on their cell phone.
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: Even a tiny delay in their reaction time because their
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: brains trying to juggle talking and driving can be difference
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: between an accident and avoiding one.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: That's terrifying.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: It makes you realize how much we underestimate those split
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: sects and delays caused by task switching, especially in a
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: world that's full of digital distractions exactly.
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: I mean, think about it. We're bombarded with notifications, emails,
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: social media all the time. It's like our brains are
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: stuck in this never ending game of ping pong and
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: I think one of the biggest culprits here is media multitasking.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: You know, checking your email while watching Netflix or scrolling
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: through social media during a meeting.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Does that sound totally guilty? I mean all the time?
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Is there is there any way to even measure how
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: much we're doing this? Like, is there a test or
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: something there is?
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: It's called the Media Multitasking Inventory or MMI MMI Okay.
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: It basically measures how much a person engages with multiple
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: media streams at the same time. So let's say you're
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: watching TV, but you're also on your phone, scrolling and
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: maybe even like responding to messages on your laptop. That's
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: classic high media multitasking, and the MMI would capture that.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Okay, But is there any evidence that all this media
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: multitasking is actually affecting brains?
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: Well, there's some intriguing research out there. It suggests that
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: heavy media multitaskers might actually have some differences in their
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: cognitive abilities. For example, some studies have shown that they
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: might have worse working memory.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: Wait, so you're telling me all that time I spend,
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: like scrolling through Instagram while watching TV might actually be
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: making me worse at remembering things like is that why
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: I can never remember where I put my keys.
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: Well, it's definitely possible. You know, correlation doesn't equal causation,
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: but the connection is definitely there. Think about it. When
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: you're constantly switching tasks, your brain doesn't get a chance
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: to really like encode information into long term memory, and
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: heavy media multitaskers might also struggle with long term memory,
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: and they might experience more more frequent attention lapses too.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: Wow, that's pretty mind blowing. So all this time we've
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: been trying to do more, we might actually be making
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: ourselves less effective in the long run.
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: It's a definite possibility RW, and it makes you wonder,
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: you know, what impact does this have on our ability
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: to reach that state of deep concentration where we do
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: our best work. That flow state?
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: Yeah, flow state, that's that feeling when you're so absorbed
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: in a task the time just seems to melt away.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: But is task switching really the enemy of flow? Like,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: are they totally incompatible?
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: Well? Think about it. Flow state as Mahy six that
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: Mahully described. It requires, it requires deep engagement and minimizing distractions.
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: It's about being completely immersed in whatever you're doing.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, so it sounds like task switching is basically
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: the opposite of that, Like we're constantly interrupting our brains
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: just as they're about to hit that sweet spot of
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: focus and creativity exactly.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: And the problem is, in our quest to do more,
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: we might actually be hindering our best work and our
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: creative potential. We overload our cognitive resources, lower the quality
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: of our work, and increase our stress levels. It's it's
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: kind of.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: A paradox, Yeah, it really is.
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: It's like, you know, we've bought into this idea that
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: being I'm busy is the same as being productive.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: Right, Like, the more we cram into our day, the
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: more successful will be. But it seems like the opposite.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: Is true exactly. We end up sacrificing quality and focus,
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: and in the process we might even be we might
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: even be hurting our cognitive abilities.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: That's what freaks me out the most. I Mean, we
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: talked about how heavy media multitaskers might have worse working memory,
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: and honestly, I've noticed that in myself, Like it feels
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: like my ability to remember things, even like simple things,
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: has gotten worse the more I've gotten used to juggling
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: multiple screens.
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: Ah Yeah, that's a really common experience. Unfortunately, when we're
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: constantly task switching, we're not letting our brains consolidate information
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: into long term memory. You know, it's like trying to
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: write a letter on a piece of paper that keeps
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: getting blown away by the wind.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: That's a great analogy. So instead of asking ourselves how
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: can I do more? Maybe the real question should be
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: what truly deserves my undivided attention.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: That is a brilliant way to reframe it, you know,
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: multitask keep us in this In this reactive state, we're
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: just constantly responding to the next paying or notification instead
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: of being proactive and intentional with our time and energy.
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: It's like we're on autopilot, just letting our devices and
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: to do lists dictate our actions. No wonder we feel
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: so scattered in stressed all the time.
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: And speaking of stress, you know, remember how we were
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: talking about flow state. Well, not only does task switching
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: prevent us from reaching that flow state, but it actually
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: increases our stress levels too.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: That makes sense. When you're constantly switching gears, your brain
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: never gets a chance to settle in.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: And relax exactly. And here's the thing about flow state,
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: that's really important. It's not just about productivity, it's also
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: where a lot of creativity happens. When we're in that
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: state of deep focus, our minds are free to wander
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: and make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: That's so true. It's like those aha moments. They come
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: when you're least expecting them, but only if you've given
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: yourself the space to.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: Think deeply exactly, And that's why constantly task switching can
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: be such a creativity killer. You know, we're essentially slamming
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: the door on our subconscious just as it's starting to
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: warm up.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: It's ironic, isn't it. We try to do everything and
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: we end up doing nothing.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Well, yes, we spread ourselves so thin that we lose
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: the ability to really dive deep and engage fully with
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: the things that actually inspire us. And the more we multitask,
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: the more we reinforce that cycle of destruction. Our brains
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: become wired for constant stimulation and we lose our capacity
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: for sustained attention.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: It's like we're training depth for breadth and losing sight
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: of what truly matters. You know, this reminds me of
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: that study we talked about earlier about those brief mental
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: blocks that are caused by task switching.
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: You mean the ones that can cost us a significant
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: amount of productive.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: Time, exactly. And it's not just about the time it
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: takes to switch gears. It's the lingering cognitive residue that
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: prevents us from fully engaging with the task at hand.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Each time time we switch, we leave a little bit
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: of our attention behind.
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: It's like trying to solve a puzzle with some of
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: the pieces missing. You know, you might eventually figure it out,
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: but it's going to be much harder.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: This is making me want to throw my phone out
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: the window and go on a digital detos.
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: Well, a full detox might not be necessary for everyone,
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: but it is definitely important to be mindful of how
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: technology affects our focus. You know, we have more control
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: over our digital environment than.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: We think, Like we talked about before, turning off notifications,
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: setting boundaries around screen time, creating spaces for focused work. Yeah,
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: it's about taking back control.
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: Exactly, And it's not just about our individual actions. You know,
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: we can advocate for changes in our workplaces and schools too.
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: Imagine if we had meetings that were designed to minimize
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: distraction Oh, that'd be amazing, right, Or you know email
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: etiquette that encourages thoughtful communication or dedicated spaces for quiet contemplation, it.
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: Would be a whole different world. It really makes you
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: realize how much our environment influences our focus. But even
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: small adjustments can make a big difference.
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: Right, I totally agree. It's about creating a culture that
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: values quality over quantity, deep work over over superficial business.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: I like that deep work over superficial business.
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: Because in the end, it's not about how many things
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: we can juggle, but how well we can engage with
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: the tasks that matter most.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: It's so well said, it feels like we've been sold
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: a lie this whole time. You know that to be
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: successful we need to be constantly on juggling a million
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: things at once.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: It does feel that way, it doesn't it, But as
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: we've seen, the research tells a very different story.
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: And it's not just about our individual productivity either. This
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: myth of multitasking can have some pretty serious consequences, especially
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: in certain professions.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Oh absolutely. I mean imagine a surgeon trying to like
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: respond to texts during a complicated surgery, or an air
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: traffic controller trying to manage multiple incoming flights while also
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: checking emails.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: The stakes are way too high for divided attention in
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: those situations. But even in our everyday lives. Think about
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: how much suffers when we try to multicask.
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: You're so right. Our conversations become less meaningful, our meals
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: less enjoyable, our hobbies less fulfilling. We're constantly skimming the surface,
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: never really diving deep into the richness of each moment.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: We're treating depths for breath, and in the process we
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: lose sight of what truly matters.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: This reminds me that quote by Thireaux. He said, it's
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: question is what are we busy about.
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: That's a perfect way to put it. In this hyper
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: connected world, the real challenge is to be more discerning
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: about where we direct our attention, to choose quality over quantity,
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: focus over frenzy.
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: It's about reclaiming our agency, you know, and making conscious
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: choices about how we spend our time and energy. And
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: as we've discussed today, it's not just about productivity. It's
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: about well being, creativity and living a more meaningful life.
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: Couldn't agree more By resisting the urge to be constantly
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: on and cultivating habits that support focus and de engagement,
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: we can unlock so much more potential, both personally and professionally.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: So as we wrap up our deep dive into the
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: multi costs of multitasking, it's clear that our brains just
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: aren't wired for it. And while we might not be
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: able to escape the demands of our modern world entirely,
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: we can choose to resist the urge to be constantly
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: on and instead prioritize focus and presence in our lives.
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: And remember, you don't have to do it all at once.
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: Start small, be patient with yourself, and celebrate every step
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: you take toward reclaiming your focus.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: So to all you deep divers out there, I'll leave
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: you with this, what one thing can you do today
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: to create more space for focus in your life. Maybe
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: it's turning off your notifications for an hour, blocking off
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: time for uninterrupted work, or simply choosing to be fully
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: present during your next conversation. Whatever it is, I encourage
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: you to experiment, be curious, and rediscover the power of
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: single tasking.
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: You might just be surprised what you can achieve when
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: you give your full attention to the things that truly matter.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: Until next time, Happy diving.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: Deep Thoughts podcast. I hope you found insights and inspiration
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: to take with you on your journey of self growth.
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: If you enjoy the show, be sure to hit the
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: subscribe button so you never miss an episode, and don't
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: forget to follow us on social media to stay updated
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: on new releases and exclusive content. See you next time,
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: where we'll continue to help you grow and explore your
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: full potential.