Concentrating on one thing at a time is a difficult art. Especially today, when we see multitasking as something of a superpower. But the fact is that multitasking – doing one thing at a time – is the brain-friendly and most efficient way to work. Among other things, it saves energy and reduces the risk of making mistakes.

Many balls in the air are not necessarily the same thing as a high work capacity. Sometimes it can be the opposite. Our brain is not able to distribute attention in parallel between different tasks, but has to switch back and forth between them. We are also constantly, and often unconsciously, disturbed by things happening around us, which is also tiring for the brain.

“The result of jumping back and forth between different tasks is often that you lose track and make mistakes,” says Cecilia Berlin, associate professor of production ergonomics and socially sustainable workplace design at Chalmers in Gothenburg. She lectures on topics such as cognitive ergonomics – how we work in the most brain-friendly way possible.

It is therefore a myth that you are always more efficient when you do several things at the same time – at least for most of us and especially when we do something where we only use our thinking ability. Most people can fold laundry and listen to the radio at the same time because we are then doing a motor routine that we are used to. The parts of the brain that we use then do not compete with each other. It is worse if you write an email and listen to a lecture at the same time. A study at Linköping University showed that when we do a visual task, such as a written exam, we hear worse at the same time as the parts of the brain that process emotions are suppressed. The brain automatically dampens the activity in other senses so that we do not get distracted.

– For example, if you write an email while sitting in a meeting, the language center is challenged in two ways and it becomes very inefficient. There is a high risk of missing something, says Cecilia Berlin. Research also shows that doing several things at once can lower our IQ as much as a night of sleep deprivation – and that chronic, long-term multitasking reduces the volume of gray matter in the brain.

Cecilia Berlin explains that the brain consumes more energy when multitasking.

– It can lead to a setback at the end of the day. The fuel runs out prematurely, so to speak. Others may think that the person who multitasks is good, but what you don't see is that the person may crash after work.

– We often praise people who do several things at the same time and think they are admirable for being able to do it. This praise can make the person get a kick out of seemingly doing more and more. It becomes a vicious circle. Instead, we should actually praise people who concentrate on one thing at a time, says Cecilia Berlin.

Tip! 
Try the TikTok trend "silent walking" - taking a quiet walk in a quiet environment, where you neither listen to music nor talk on the phone. It's best not to bring your phone at all. According to studies, such a walk has a positive effect on brain waves.

Monotasking may sound simple, but it's harder than you might think. In the workplace, it's very much a matter of discipline and culture, says Cecilia Berlin. - It's a challenge to keep your focus because we're so used to the culture of being available and service-minded. But there has to be a balance. Talking to each other and asking if it's okay to focus without being disturbed between certain times can be the start of a healthy reassessment. Start asking the question, says Cecilia Berlin. Just by becoming aware that it's more brain-friendly to work focused, you can make a difference in your workplace.

So what should you do if you want to go all in on a task? Cecilia Berlin suggests going away and sitting alone, for example in your own room.

“It's a good idea to leave your phone with notifications turned off in another room while you focus on your work,” she says. Set a timer!

The mobile phone is a major distraction that we don't always think about. But the fact is that our attention is hijacked several times a day by the pinging, beeping and flashing of mobile phones, emails and other systems. Research suggests that it takes us twenty minutes to regain concentration after such an interruption. Therefore, it is good to turn off unnecessary notifications when you are focusing. Another common trick is to have noise-canceling headphones.

– It might be an idea to tell your colleagues that you don't want to be interrupted when you're working with your headphones on.

In the same way, we ourselves need to be considerate of our colleagues and not throw out questions when the mood strikes.

– Write down the question when you think of it and take it at a later time instead, says Cecilia Berlin.