Multitasking sounds like a superpower, but most of the time it’s really task switching—jumping back and forth so fast we don’t notice the cost. In this episode, we talk about the difference between true multitasking and rapid switching, and why switching can make you less effective, less productive, and less present.

We also share a few real-life examples (knitting while watching TV, exercising with an audiobook, checking email mid-writing) and a simple “Good Enough” experiment: using tiny waiting moments—like a login screen—as a cue to take a few breaths and come back to what you’re doing.

What We Talk About

1. 01:28 — When multitasking can work: knitting while watching TV (and why writing postcards while watching is different).
2. 03:33 — A combo that often works: physical tasks (folding laundry, exercising) while listening to an audiobook (or podcast!).
3. 04:29 — Why switching tasks can make you less productive than single-tasking.
4. 05:47 — The “attention test”: if both tasks need brain power (like sorting and chatting), something gets missed.
5. 06:45 — Phone + conversation: noticing how it affects connection, and small ways to be more present with people.
6. 10:22 — The “lag reflex”: switching away during a short wait (like logging into a bank) and getting pulled into email or Facebook.
7. 11:08 — A simple strategy: practice staying with a few seconds of discomfort so you can finish the task.
8. 13:01 — Meditation explained in plain terms: not “no thoughts,” but returning to your focus.
9. 14:42 — Anchoring mindfulness to your desk chair: building calm where you actually work.
10. 15:44 — Shannon shares how ADHD can amplify distraction and unfinished tasks (especially off meds).
11. 17:13 — Reframing single-tasking as self-care: more calm, more “done,” and less stress.

Key Takeaways

1. Most multitasking is really task switching: If you’re bouncing between email, a document, and social media, you’re not doing three things at once—you’re switching. And switching often makes everything take longer.
2. Some pairings can be “good enough” multitasking: If one task is automatic or physical (like knitting, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, brushing your teeth), it may pair well with listening.
3. If both tasks require attention, you’ll feel scattered: Sorting, writing, and meaningful conversations all need focus. Trying to stack them usually means you’re only half there.
4. Use waiting moments as a mindfulness cue: Instead of opening Facebook during a 10-second pause, try three slow breaths or counting breaths until the page loads.
5. Single-tasking is self-care (and it feels better): Finishing one thing at a time can lower stress and give you that satisfying sense of completion.

The Bottom Line

Multitasking promises efficiency, but for most of us it’s really rapid, less efficient task switching—and it can leave you feeling scattered and less present. A “Good Enough” approach is choosing one thing at a time more often, and using tiny pauses to return to your focus.

Listener Action: Choose one “waiting moment” this week (like logging into a website). Instead of switching to email or social media, take 3 slow breaths and gently bring your attention back to the task in front of you.

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Want More Like This? (Related Episodes)

Episode 26: Multitasking If multitasking is your default setting (and it sometimes works… until it doesn’t), this is our original episode on the subject. We talk about why multitasking feels productive, when it can actually be fine, and when it’s really just task switching that leaves you more frazzled than finished.

Episode 27: The Thrill of Done You know that satisfying feeling when you finish something and it stops taking up space in your brain? This episode is all about that. We share simple ways to make “done” easier to reach—especially if perfectionism tends to move the finish line.

Episode 84: Overthinking The multitasking may be coming from inside your brain! If your brain likes to keep running the same thought loop, you’re not alone. We talk about how overthinking sneaks in (especially with perfectionist tendencies), and how to step out of the spin cycle and into the next small, doable action.

Connect With Us

We’d love to hear what multitasking looks like in your real life—and what happens when you try single-tasking instead. Leave us a voicemail at 413-424-GTGE (4843) or find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube @gettingtogoodenough.

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