Psychologists have long studied behaviours that affect our productivity, for better or worse. The findings have been interesting. For example, research has found that creative types are more likely to be night owls, while professionals in more logical-driven fields are more likely to be early risers.
A recent study published by the American Psychological Association studied multitasking and the effects it had on productivity. Typically, we engage in multitasking because we want to be productive, so many would think that taking on more than one task would increase your efficiency. But, the APA study found the opposite. Instead, participants who engaged in multitasking actually had, on average, a 40% decrease in productive output.
The finding suggests that anyone looking to boost their workday productivity should steer clear of multitasking, especially for complex tasks. It’s much better to focus entirely on one project, before going to another.