Introduction
Multitasking is sometimes called inefficient, on the grounds that it divides your attention.
And there's something to that. Research in cognitive psychology has shown that when you try to do several attention-demanding tasks at the same time — writing an email while sitting in a meeting, say — your performance tends to suffer. But even setting the research aside, plenty of us have probably felt it directly: when you work this way, the quality of your work drops and you tire more quickly. At least I have.
That doesn't mean all multitasking is bad, though.
What matters is what you combine with what. Depending on the pairing, you can get more than just time savings — sometimes the two activities actually reinforce each other, producing a kind of synergy.
1. Combining one task with another
Take pairs like writing an article while watching a video, or studying while checking social media. Both sides demand your focus, so efficiency tends to fall.
On the other hand, combinations like:
- A walk × a podcast
- Chores × an audiobook
- A train commute × language study
work better, because when one side is relatively simple, the load doesn't pile up on top of the other.
So the question isn't whether multitasking is good or bad — it's about choosing pairings that go well together. That, to me, is what matters.
2. Combining a task with a habit
The thing you pair with doesn't have to be another task.
For example, say you want to listen to a podcast to study a language. If you frame it as "I'll set aside 30 minutes to study," it easily gets pushed to later on busy days.
But if you attach that podcast to a walk or a commute you already do every day, you don't need to carve out any new time at all.
This connects to the idea of "Habit Stacking" — tying a new action to a habit you already have. It's a method introduced in James Clear's Atomic Habits: instead of starting a new habit from scratch, you link it to an existing one to make it easier to stick with.
3. Combining a task with an environment
The thing you pair with can even be your environment.
This strays a little from multitasking in the strict sense, but bear with me: suppose you want to work out at home. It's easy to keep putting it off, or to find you just can't concentrate.
Go to a gym, though, and the environment is already set up for exercising — and there are people working out all around you. Simply placing yourself in that setting can be enough: "Well, I came all this way, so I might as well," and you find yourself acting more naturally.
In behavioral science, it's well established that our actions are shaped not just by willpower but heavily by our surroundings. So "exercise" paired with "the gym" is another combination that nudges you into action.
Conclusion
On a personal note: lately I've been paying more attention to multitasking as a way to work through different kinds of tasks efficiently, and that's what led me to write this piece.
The word "multitasking" tends to carry an image of being inefficient.
But if you avoid stacking two focus-demanding tasks, and instead choose pairings that don't get in each other's way — or tie a task to a habit or an environment you already have — you can not only use your time well but also gain positive side effects like building habits and refreshing your mind.
Rather than lumping multitasking together as simply good or bad, try looking at it through the question, "what combination would create synergy?" You might just find a hint for building a new habit.
Thank you for reading!
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