The Myth of Multitasking: How It Affects Your Performance, Stress Level, and Effectiveness

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

For your activity this week, you are going to get to participate in an exercise that demonstrates the effects that trying to do several things at once has on your performance, your stress level, and your effectiveness.
The following video shows an exercise that you will participate in while you watch. You will need to have a blank sheet of paper and a pen/pencil. The activity takes about 5 1/2 minutes to complete.
The Myth of Multitasking Exercise
After you have completed the activity, answer the following questions on the discussion board. Be sure to respond to at least two other people in your breakout group.
Questions to answer:
1) How well did you do with this activity? What differences were there between the way he had you do it the first time vs. the way you did it the second time?
2) How often do you try to do more than one thing at a time? What are 2 examples of things that you do simultaneously? How much do you think trying to do them at the same time affects your performance?
3) How did this activity affect your thoughts about multitasking? Do you think that you will try to make an effort to multitask less often? What is one thing that you would like to change and stop multitasking?

HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)

The “Myth of Multitasking” exercise brought attention to the drawbacks of attempting to complete numerous things at once. The task required participants to create a sentence while also keeping track of how many times the letter “F” appeared in a particular paragraph. Participants were asked to reflect on their experiences and provide answers to a series of questions after the activity.

When I think back on the exercise, I realized that it was difficult for me to finish both jobs at once. My performance improved dramatically on the second try when I had to finish each work on my own. I could create a more cohesive statement and count the letter “F” more precisely when I performed each assignment on its own, which distinguished the two attempts.

I frequently try to perform multiple things at once in my daily life. For instance, I might attempt to take part in a conference call and send an email at the same time. Even though I thought I was working efficiently, this exercise showed me that trying to multitask could hinder my productivity. Distractions could result in mistakes or inaccuracies, which would reduce my effectiveness.

My perspective on multitasking changed after finishing the activity. I’ve concluded that multitasking may not be as efficient as once imagined. I will consciously try to multitask less frequently in the future. One habit I’d like to modify is not looking at my phone while I’m listening to someone talk or watching a movie. I intend to enhance my performance and general effectiveness by reducing distractions.

The “Myth of Multitasking” exercise was, in summary, enlightening. It emphasized the drawbacks of trying to complete several activities at once and refuted my opinions on multitasking. I intend to increase my performance and effectiveness in both my personal and professional life by reducing distractions and finishing work one at a time.