Why Multitasking Isn’t as Productive as You Think - And What to Do Instead

Why Multitasking Isn’t as Productive as You Think - And What to Do Instead

You sit down at your desk, ready to start doing what is in your to-do list. You have an important report to finish, but before you even start, a Slack notification pops up. You check it, just a quick reply, right? Then your phone buzzes. A new email. You open it. Five minutes later, you’ve answered three messages, checked your calendar, and now… what were you supposed to do again?

Sound familiar?

You may think that multi tasking is productive, but in reality, it’s slowly killing your focus, doubling your workload, and increasing your stress. The worst part? You don’t even realize it’s happening.


💡What is multitasking?

Multitasking is when a person does several things at the same time. For example, you can listen to music and write a message, or cook and talk on the phone. But in reality, the brain cannot focus well on several tasks at once. 



What your brain feel during multi tasking 

Cognitive Overload: It is scientifically proven that people, who are multitasking especially with media on background, have a harder time to ignore distractions. They are less efficient at task-switching and have decreased memory performance.

Temporary IQ Reduction: Research from the University of London showed that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks, have lower IQ scores similar to their points after a sleepless night or marijuana use. 

Increased Stress:Multitasking increases the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, which makes you feel more anxious and overwhelmed. Our brain isn’t designed to cope with different tasks at the same time and it just jumps from task to task and loses focus. That makes you worried that you forgot something and stress level goes up. 

Lets have a quick test on how good are you at multitasking

🧠 Multitasking Challenge

Set a 2-minute timer and try to complete both tasks at the same time:

1️⃣ Listen to a podcast, video, or voice message.
2️⃣ Solve a simple math problem ( 37 + 46 - 18 + 25).

After the Timer Stops, Ask Yourself:

✅ Did you fully understand what you were listening to?
✅ Did you get the math problem right?
✅ Did you feel distracted or slowed down?


If you struggled, that’s because your brain wasn’t processing both tasks simultaneously. It was switching between them, it led to slower thinking, more mistakes, and mental fatigue.


The Secret to Getting More Done? Do Less


Sounds strange, right? But what we see: research proves that focusing on ONE task at a time is the real productivity hack. Here’s why:


Faster Completion Times

Think multitasking helps you work faster? Think again. A study found that single-tasking improves efficiency by up to 50% meaning you’ll finish tasks in half the time.

How it works?

Imagine trying to cook dinner, answer work emails, and help your kid with homework - all at the same time. Chances are, dinner gets overcooked, emails are full of typos, and your kid is frustrated. But if you tackle each task one by one, everything gets done faster and with better results.


💡 Try This:


✅ The One-Tab Rule: Close all tabs except for the one you’re working on. Sounds simple? Try it for an hour, you’ll be shocked at how much more you get done.

✅ The "No Switch" Challenge: Start a task and don’t switch to anything else until it’s finished. Time yourself! You’ll realize how much multitasking slows you down.


Fewer Mistakes

Ever sent "Love you ❤️" to your boss instead of your partner? 

Or maybe you scheduled a meeting for the wrong time while trying to text and listen to a conversation?

Multitasking divides your attention, making errors way more likely. Single-tasking keeps your brain fully engaged, so mistakes become rare.


💡 Try This:


✅ The Airplane Mode Trick – When you’re doing something important (writing, studying, planning), put your phone on airplane mode for 30 minutes. No pings, no distractions: just pure focus.

✅ The Sticky Note Memory Test: Write down what you’re doing before you switch tasks. When you come back, check: Did you remember exactly where you left off? If not, multitasking might be draining your memory.



Less stress:

Think about the last time you juggled multiple projects at once. Did you feel accomplished or just exhausted?

Your brain isn’t built for constant switching. Every time you change tasks, your stress levels increase.


💡 Try This:


✅ The "Do Not Disturb Hour"

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb for 60 minutes while you focus on one task. No notifications, no distractions just work. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer and more productive you feel.

How to use Hubmee to avoid multitasking

It is easy just to tell you in theory how to stop multitasking, but what we all know it is much easier to say than to accomplish.That’s why, we are not just saying but giving you the solution.

Hubmee - all in one digital assistant, who can take control of your tasks, documents, assets and more.


How it helps with multitasking:

You switch between tasks without a clear plan leads to unfinished work and wasted time.

Hubmee’s Task Management lets you add tasks, categorize them, and set priorities so you always know what to tackle first.

How to Use Hubmee:

  •  Add all your tasks to Hubmee.

  •  Use priority tags (High, Medium, Low)

  •  Move non-urgent tasks to the Backlog so they don’t distract you.



Missed deadlines

Ever forgot about an important deadline while switching tasks? Probably yes, because the very moment you switch it your brain is no longer focused on previous tasks and small details such as due date. But it is totally uncomfortable to set alarms every time, so what is the solution?

Hubmee’s Automated Reminders notify you before due dates so you’re always ahead of schedule.

How to Use Hubmee:

  •  Set reminders for work tasks, bills, appointments, and deadlines.

  •  Sync reminders with the calendar to get a clear view of your schedule.



Stop Searching and Keep Everything in One Place

Constantly switching apps to find documents slows you down.
The Solution: Attach documents to tasks in Hubmee, so everything you need is at your fingertips.

How to Use Hubmee:

  • Upload documents directly to relevant tasks (invoices, contracts, notes).

  • Use Hubmee’s smart search to find what you need instantly.


Plan Your Day with the Calendar

Trying to remember everything in your head leads to overload and poor time management.
Hubmee’s Calendar shows your tasks, reminders, and deadlines and even payments in one calendar.

How to Use Hubmee:

  • Plan your day in advance using the calendar view.

  • Block time for deep work: schedule focus sessions where you only work on one task.


Work smarter not harder 


Prioritize and plan your work and daily tasks  instead of doing everything at once.


💡 Try This:


✅ Let Hubmee track deadlines so you don’t have to.

✅ Find documents instantly instead of wasting time searching.

✅ Use the calendar to schedule deep work and avoid distractions.


Free trial IOS / ANDROID/ WEB

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