Multitasking exhausts the brain because it forces it to constantly switch attention.
Just a few years ago, multitasking was almost synonymous with the ability to "keep up." It appeared as an advantage in job ads, was worn as a badge of efficiency in offices, and became a silent standard at home: responding to messages with one hand, stirring dinner with the other, checking children's homework, and planning the next day in your head. But as this way of functioning became more entrenched, more often it began to be said that multitasking exhausts the brain and that in the long run, it doesn't save time but rather leads to fatigue, irritability, and a feeling that one "never stops" even when they should be resting. Why is this happening? And how can we escape it without life collapsing into a heap of unfulfilled obligations?
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Why Multitasking Exhausts the Brain (and Why It's Not Just a Feeling)
The brain is not designed to do several demanding tasks at once. When we talk about multitasking, it often actually involves rapid switching of attention: a moment with email, a moment with a spreadsheet, a moment on the phone, then back to email. From the outside, this might look like parallel performance, but inside, a series of small "restarts" is happening. Each switch costs energy, increases error rates, and reduces the capacity for deeper concentration.
In psychology and neuroscience, this phenomenon is referred to as "switching cost," the price of switching. It's not just an academic exercise: in practice, it means that after every distraction, the brain has to reorient itself to where it left off, what the goal was, and what the next step is. And because the switching is happening more and more frequently—notifications, chats, quick queries, social media—fatigue increases. It's no wonder that by evening, there's a feeling that the day was full of activity, but somehow lacking in results.
Adding another layer to this: multitasking often keeps the brain on alert. Even when "nothing is happening," part of the attention is on the lookout for incoming messages, someone responding, or another task appearing. The body and mind remain in mild tension. This is why in everyday language, multitasking and stress are increasingly connected—not only because there's too much, but because too much is happening at once and without clear boundaries.
For a basic understanding of how attention works and why switching is so costly, resources like the American Psychological Association on stress and mental function are helpful (they're not the only source, but they are reliable). Similarly, the NHS offers useful context in their section on mental well-being and managing stress.
One surprisingly important detail: the brain likes completion. When tasks are not completed but only "touched on," it creates a noise of unresolved ends in the head. This increases internal pressure and strengthens the feeling that something always needs monitoring. The result can be exhaustion, which doesn't come as a dramatic collapse but as a gradual “burnout": worse sleep, less patience, declining motivation, and the feeling that even simple things unexpectedly take a lot of effort.
"Sometimes the problem isn't that there's too much, but that it happens without space in between."
Multitasking and Stress: A Subtle Spiral Disguised as Productivity
Stress itself isn't always bad. In the short term, it can help focus, provide energy, and handle challenging situations. The problem arises when stress becomes the backdrop of every day. And this is precisely where multitasking often leads: the brain is always in "response" mode, instead of having time to transition to "creation" or "rest."
Moreover, multitasking strengthens the feeling that one is constantly behind. Why? Because switching creates the impression that many things are being addressed, but at the same time, little is actually completed. This creates a paradox: the more one tries to "keep up with everything," the more they feel they're not keeping up with anything. And this is fertile ground for anxious thoughts like "I must do more," "I can't turn off," "if I don't respond immediately, something will happen."
There's also a social aspect. In many teams, fast response is mistaken for reliability. Someone who replies within a minute appears engaged. Someone who replies in an hour may seem like they "weren't there." But such a setup is unsustainable in the long run. It creates pressure for permanent availability and pushes work boundaries into personal time. If you add household responsibilities, childcare, or caring for parents to this, it sets the stage for chronic overload.
A real example shows this painfully clearly. Imagine a typical afternoon: a person comes home from work, takes care of a few calls on the way, opens a laptop "just for a moment" to finish an email. Meanwhile, dinner is cooking, someone needs something, the phone vibrates, and a list of tasks runs through their head. In the evening, although many small actions take place, there's a feeling that nothing was done properly. And when they finally sit down, the brain still "runs"—instead of calm, mindless scrolling occurs because the silence is suddenly unusual. This is exactly the moment when multitasking and stress merge into one whole: the body is home, but the nervous system is still at work.
Long-term overload can also manifest physically—with tension in the shoulders, headaches, digestive issues, and increased susceptibility to illness. It's not necessarily direct evidence of "multitasking," but rather a signal that the body doesn't have enough space for regeneration. For broader context on how stress affects the body, refer to resources like World Health Organization on mental health and the importance of prevention.
Tips for Managing Stress and Not Trying to Handle Everything
It sounds simple but is crucial: the way out doesn't lead through even better multitasking. It leads through a return to priorities, rhythm, and boundaries. This doesn't mean becoming a "slower person." It means becoming a person who has energy not only for performance but also for life.
When One Task Needs Doing, Let It Be Just One Task
One of the most effective steps is to establish short blocks of focus. It doesn't have to be a full hour in complete silence. Even 20–30 minutes with notifications off and only one thing open makes a difference. The brain stops tearing between tasks and begins to return to deeper concentration. It often turns out that work, which "in multitasking" drags on all morning, is actually done in half the time.
Even a small detail helps, which sounds trivial: close windows and applications not currently in use. Not because one lacks discipline, but because the brain reacts to stimuli even without conscious decision. Every icon, every number by unread messages is a small hook for attention.
Internal Pressure Often Comes Not from Tasks, but from Expectations
Much stress doesn't concern the actual amount of work but the idea that everything must be done immediately and perfectly. But life is more a stream than a list. When a realistic bar is set, paradoxically, quality increases—because work is done with a clearer head.
In practice, this might mean a simple sentence worth occasionally reminding oneself of: "It doesn't have to be perfect; it must be sustainable." Sustainability, by the way, isn't just about ecology but also life pace. Just as it pays off to gradually transition to more sustainable habits at home, the psyche needs changes that are feasible long-term, not just for a week.
Small Rituals that Bring Calm into the Day
Stress often poses as something to be addressed "when there's time." But time usually doesn't appear on its own in multitasking. That's why short rituals work, which are so small they can't be refused.
One practical approach to try without big plans:
- Twice daily, 3 minutes without screens (morning and afternoon): a few deeper breaths, a look out the window, a stretch of the neck and shoulders—nothing more, but regularly.
Such a small thing might seem ridiculous next to big tasks, but that's precisely why it differs from "big resolutions." It's realistic. And regularity is often more important for the nervous system than intensity.
Boundaries Aren't a Luxury but Basic Hygiene
One of the biggest sources of exhaustion is blurred boundaries: work spills into the evening, free time spills into work, rest is just a "pause between emails." If possible, it's worth establishing at least one clear boundary—like not opening work emails after a certain hour. It may not always be possible to stick to it 100%, but even partial adherence has an effect. The brain begins to believe there's a time when it doesn't have to be on alert.
Equally important is the boundary with notifications. It's not necessary to be radical, but turning off most alerts (or at least silencing them) is one of the quickest ways to reduce pressure. Then one checks messages consciously, instead of being controlled by them.
Sleep as a Counterbalance to Exhaustion, Not a Reward for Performance
When exhaustion is mentioned, vacations or weekends are often talked about. But the most important regeneration happens every night. Multitasking tends to worsen falling asleep because the brain is trained to switch and seek stimuli. If the evening ends with a screen, transitioning to calm is harder.
A simple compromise helps: the last 30 minutes before bed without fast stimuli. It doesn't have to be "perfect sleep hygiene." Just swapping news and social media for something slower: a shower, reading, calm music, a brief note of thoughts on paper. This signals to the brain that it no longer needs to react.
Why "Not Trying to Handle Everything" Isn't Resignation
In a performance culture, it might seem that reducing is the same as losing. But trying to handle absolutely everything often leads to not managing the most important things: health, relationships, long-term stability. Stopping the effort to be everywhere and with everything doesn't mean being indifferent. It means consciously choosing what takes priority and what can wait.
Practically, this might look like selecting two to three things each day that truly move life or work forward, and taking the rest as a bonus. This setup is surprisingly liberating: one has a chance to experience completion, and thus a sense of competence, instead of endless catching up.
And what if the fear arises that without multitasking, it won't work? Often, it helps to look at it from the other side: how much energy is spent today just on switching, monitoring, and "staying updated"? If some of that energy returned to focus and rest, the result could be more work done and more peace.
In this lies perhaps the biggest paradox of our time: slowing down doesn't mean losing pace. It means stopping the unnecessary burning of fuel. Multitasking might seem like a solution in the short term, but in the long term, it's often the path to turning ordinary fatigue into exhaustion and stress into the norm. However, once there's room for one thing at a time, even small changes occur—the tone of communication, sleep quality, the desire to create something, patience at home.
In the end, it's not about having a perfectly "zen" life without obligations. It's about ensuring obligations don't consume all attention and that the brain doesn't have to function as a switch without an off button. And isn't that quite a reasonable ambition? To manage life in a way that leaves room for what can't be ticked off a list.
