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Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

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Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#101

Post by dkarras »

refactor_master wrote: post #5

Again and again, people just refuse to accept that cognitive performance has very clear limits, and that multitasking, skipped breaks and long hours are, at best, a total waste of time. And exponentially so, the more “focus-intensive” the work is. Why do we have this bias? Is it deeply wired in some sort of survival instinct?

To me: If I'm behind schedule in important work, obsessed with a problem etc. NOT engaging with work feels a lot worse than working on it in reduced capacity. If I take a break, call it a day etc. my mind keeps working on it, I feel anxious etc. Working on the problem though, feels just fine. I'm just tired, but probably having fun.

Also the "gambler" instinct is there. I have solved hairy problems when I'm tired (because when you are out of ideas, you tend to consider creative options) though it is rare. But you seek the "rush" of solving it, finishing something that will give you a "high" for hours after you leave the desk.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#102

Post by CountDrewku »

refactor_master wrote: post #5

Again and again, people just refuse to accept that cognitive performance has very clear limits, and that multitasking, skipped breaks and long hours are, at best, a total waste of time. And exponentially so, the more “focus-intensive” the work is. Why do we have this bias? Is it deeply wired in some sort of survival instinct?

This is why set works hours for jobs that require more cognitive skills are silly. My brain is shot about after lunch until about 3-4pm and yet I'm forced to sit around and pretend to be productive. Yeah there are occasionally some low end tasks that could be done in that period but I'd be better off just taking a nap and zoning out.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#103

Post by cma »

goatcode wrote: post #71

I wonder what this says about pair programming, given that writing code and communicating are pretty different tasks, according to imaging: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-brain-code-decipher-n...

Or "talk me through it as you do it" whiteboard interviewing

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#104

Post by calderarrow »

Somewhat of a personal tangent, but I exclusively use 1 screen, and rarely split windows or have more than 1 application open when working. When I need to bounce between code/browser, documentation/code, or email/HN, I use the alt/command-tab functionality.

I find it slower having to switch between viewing different screens or moving my head, yet I'm the only one in my friend group who does this -- everyone else seems to prefer dual monitors.

I'm curious if HN people find that dual monitors feel like more of a distraction, and if it's at all related to multitasking.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#105

Post by VRay »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #77
gobins wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if it is a biological thing. My wife excels at multitasking but I can barely do two things at a time. I did notice the delayed speech with my wife as well.

I'd hope not as I'm good at it, but my wife is awful at it. She pauses the TV to read a text message.

haha, it's the same deal for me and my wife

I'll gladly do 2-3 things at once all day, but she has to pause the TV to answer a question or read a text message

I don't think I'm as good at multitasking as lot of people in this thread, though.. I can multitask while programming and feel like I'm doing a great job, but then in retrospect it's clear that my output was maybe 20% of what it would've been if I'd been fully focused

I found that out in college, homework assignments would take 30 minutes at my desk or multiple hours in front of the TV

I think I need to get better about silencing Slack and keeping the web browser closed at work, come to think of it.. It's dang frustrating having to wait 2+ minutes for something to compile and run though..

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#106

Post by Graffur »

Can I show this to my boss..? Jokes aside, I literally have felt the effects of multitasking in work. My brain stopped working effectively. In addition, I lost all desire to work.

I wish there wasn't a book advertised at the bottom of this article. I feel like I can't share it.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#107

Post by 0xFACEFEED »

dkersten wrote: post #87
0xFACEFEED wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It took me over 15 years in the industry to realize a couple of things. If you're young and reading this then I hope you at least spend a few minutes thinking deeply about it. 1) Any productivity gained over that one-or-two-day session makes very little difference in the big picture. Even a week. A company/product/feature is never going to live or die on that 30 hours of coding that you managed to squeeze into 48 hou…

Great post. It reminded me of something I experienced in a previous job: One of my coworkers worked a lot of overtime at one point, I think he liked to feel like the hero. In order to make sure a particular project was delivered in time. Guess what happened? The client just randomly pushed the deadline back a few months making all the overtime unnecessary. I know you can’t know if this will happen ahead of time, but…

> Guess what happened? The client just randomly pushed the deadline back a few months making all the overtime unnecessary.

Sounds familiar.

I'd push hard to reach a deadline only to see the deadline get pushed back because other, more sensible people, were not bending over backwards for the company. These are other sensible people could be folks on other teams (eg: marketing), business partners (eg: launch partners), or even customers.

> I’ve had too many health issues from my past bad work practices (it’s hard to have good work practices when doing your own startups...) to do any more than that. Hell im being treated for high blood pressure right now...

I feel you. It's impacted my health as well. I think permanently.

I'm fortunate enough to have built up a financial war chest so that I can relax now, but boooy was I close to not having made it.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#108

Post by Graffur »

calderarrow wrote: post #104

Somewhat of a personal tangent, but I exclusively use 1 screen, and rarely split windows or have more than 1 application open when working. When I need to bounce between code/browser, documentation/code, or email/HN, I use the alt/command-tab functionality. I find it slower having to switch between viewing different screens or moving my head, yet I'm the only one in my friend group who does this -- everyone else seem…

It's not so much about number of monitors but screen estate.

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#109

Post by Graffur »

0xFACEFEED wrote: post #58
nicoburns wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think what you say is true over the long term, but not so much over the short term. Need me to skip breaks and work hours for one day when I'm well rested. I definitely can be significantly more productive than usual. Problem is that it's not sustainable.

It took me over 15 years in the industry to realize a couple of things. If you're young and reading this then I hope you at least spend a few minutes thinking deeply about it. 1) Any productivity gained over that one-or-two-day session makes very little difference in the big picture. Even a week. A company/product/feature is never going to live or die on that 30 hours of coding that you managed to squeeze into 48 hou…

Can you describe your current job and company?

Re: Multitasking hurts performance and may even damage the brain (2018)

#110

Post by 238475235243 »

There are people who have had a cognitive impairment they've worked with and they're are people who haven't.

If you have a brain injury, head trauma, stroke, cognitive migraine.... You're aware of the space you vacate. You can feel it missing and its "a thing".

For everyone else, you just convince yourself you're just as effective as you were. You think multitasking works or driving after two beers is ok. You're not aware of what is outside of your constrained cognition.

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