When Multitasking Helps (Or When It Hurts)

This morning I was outside before sunrise, trying to beat the Kentucky heat and humidty.

For months, I've been attempting to reclaim the hillside behind our house from an invasion of periwinkle vine. It was there when we moved in years ago, likely planted as a low-maintenance ground cover to reduce erosion on the hillside. Yet over time, the periwinkle took over everything, including my raised beds–no matter how hard I tried to keep it out.

Now we're taking back the space.

Every morning I head out with gloves and determination. And every morning I seem to make the same mistake.

I grab a big handful of vines and pull hard.

The result?

The vines barely budge. My hands hurt. The roots stay firmly planted in the ground or snap off at the surface.

You'd think I'd learn.

Because each time I stop, choose just one vine at the base and pull in the direction it has give, 

...the entire thing releases from the ground.

Apparently, I'm a slow learner.

Or perhaps I'm simply human.

The Siren Song of Multitasking

Our lives are so full that multitasking feels like the responsible thing to do.

Answer emails while eating lunch. This was how I spent my lunch hour for years.

Listen to a meeting while checking messages.

Fold laundry while thinking about dinner.

Return phone calls while driving.

We convince ourselves that doing more things at once means we're accomplishing more.

Sometimes that's true.

But often it's like pulling a fistful of vines.

We're working harder without making good progress.

A Conversation with Mother Nature

As I worked this morning, it felt like Mother Nature had a lesson for me.

Mother Nature: When you focus all your effort and attention on one thing, the process becomes more efficient and effective.

Me: Like when I pull one vine instead of twenty. The entire root comes out.

Mother Nature: When your attention is scattered, it's difficult to see the real problem.

Me: That's why I can't tell which vine is caught beneath a rock until I slow down.

Mother Nature: When you're fully present with one thing at a time, peace often follows.

Me: That's why I feel so much calmer pulling one vine after another as opposed to when I attempt to wrestle an impossible tangle.

Funny how nature keeps teaching the same lessons.

Is Multitasking Always Bad?

I'm not saying we should never multitask.

I do believe it has its place.

After I had my fill of the vines this morning, I was sanding down a rusty arch I want to repaint to use in our new raised beds. I put in my ear pods and called my mother. We had a great chat while I made progress on a massive sanding job. Pairing a repetitive task  that requires no concentration with something enjoyable or educational can be a wonderful use of time.

The key is understanding whether both activities require your attention.

Research consistently shows that our brains don't truly perform two mentally demanding tasks simultaneously. Instead, they rapidly switch back and forth between them. That constant switching increases mistakes, drains mental energy, and often makes tasks take longer than if we'd completed them one at a time.

In other words, multitasking isn't always multitasking.

Sometimes it's simply divided attention.

How to Decide: Should You Multitask?

The next time you're tempted to combine two activities, ask yourself a few simple questions.

1. Does either task require deep thinking?

If the answer is yes, give it your full attention.

Writing, planning, financial decisions, difficult conversations, creative work, or learning something new all will benefit from your undivided focus.

2. Is one task almost automatic?

Folding laundry.

Pulling weeds.

Cooking a favorite recipe.

These are often perfect companions for a podcast, audiobook, or meaningful conversation.

3. Will combining these activities make either one less enjoyable?

Sometimes we multitask because we feel guilty doing just one thing.

Yet reading while half-watching television usually means we don't truly enjoy either one.

I find that by being fully present on a walk, I return more calm and relaxed than when I listen to a podcast while trying to get in steps for the day.

4. Is multitasking creating stress or reducing it?

Notice how your body feels.

Do your shoulders tense?

Does your breathing become shallow?

Do you feel rushed?

Those are clues that your mind may be juggling more than it comfortably can.

5. What would happen if you slowed down?

This is often the most revealing question.

Sometimes slowing down is actually the quickest path forward.

Just ask a hillside full of periwinkle.

One Vine at a Time

Our culture celebrates busy.

Nature celebrates seasons.

Roots.

Rhythms.

Steady growth.

Maybe productivity isn't always about doing more.

Maybe it's about giving our full attention to whatever is right in front of us.

One conversation.

One project.

One walk.

One meal.

One vine.

And perhaps that's where we find not only greater effectiveness—but also the peace we've been looking for all along, one vine at a time.