Why I Can’t Multitask Anymore

 

Photo by Christina Morillo

There was a time when I thought I could multitask without even thinking about it. I could listen to something fascinating, read at the same time, even write a few thoughts in between. 

But now? 

The moment my ears are engaged, everything else seems to shut down. I can’t read. I can barely write. It’s as if I’ve slowly turned into a single-tasking person.

At first, this bothered me. I wondered if I was losing a part of myself — the part that used to juggle so many inputs so naturally. But the moment I start comparing myself to my own past experiences, I can never be sure whether those earlier abilities were facts or illusions. Memory is a storyteller, not always a historian. So I dug a little deeper and ended up with a narrative that actually comforted me.

Cognitive science says this is completely normal. The tendency for our attention and cognitive resources to become tightly focused when our hearing is actively engaged is rooted in our evolutionary biology — particularly the importance of sound for early threat detection. Our ancestors survived by reacting quickly to noises around them, and our brain still gives hearing the first priority. When the ears take over, the rest of the system naturally quiets down.

And maybe that’s not a flaw.
Maybe that’s my mind choosing depth over noise.
Maybe that’s my system saying, “Focus on one thing. Be present in the moment.”

The more I think about it, the more I realise: single-tasking isn’t a decline — it’s a refinement. It’s an invitation to do fewer things, but with more honesty and more attention. And perhaps that’s the real evolution — not the ability to do everything, but the courage to do one thing well.

So yes, my ears may overpower everything else now. But maybe they’re not interrupting my life — maybe they’re guiding me back to it.

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The Epidemic of Intermittent Attention: How Constant Distraction Is Reshaping Our Minds

 

Today, we start from where we left off yesterday — where we shared wisdom from great minds on the importance of concentration and focus.

Now, let’s go a step deeper and explore how to rebuild attention as a habit, not merely resist distraction — how to move toward a philosophy of focus and presence.

We are living in a time when information comes at us with the quantity and force of a fire hose. We can no longer easily decide what is important and what is not. In that constant quest to stay updated, we live on alert — forever scanning for what comes next, and in the process, we lose hold of the present.
Consequently, attention has become a rare commodity.

This state has reached epidemic proportions, so much so that it now has a name — intermittent attention: a fragmented mental state where focus keeps leaping between a dozen competing demands.
Each tiny interruption steals a fraction of our mental energy. Over time, we end up scattered — busy, but rarely absorbed; informed, but seldom thoughtful.

Unlike true multitasking, where we attempt to do several things at once, intermittent attention is a kind of rapid toggling where we accomplish almost nothing.
It feels productive, but it isn’t.
This constant switching breaks the continuity of thought, disrupts memory, and slowly erodes creativity.

Our minds were never designed to refresh like a screen. Research shows that it takes 10–15 minutes for the brain to return to its pre-distraction focus state.

Students: The Most Affected

Students are the most vulnerable — precisely because they have the highest capacity to learn. Their minds are open, curious, and capable of deep absorption, but their environment constantly pulls them outward. Surrounded by devices engineered to capture attention, they live in a trap that is hard to escape.

Over time, the ability to read, reflect, and understand deeply begins to fade.
It’s not a lack of intelligence or motivation — it’s the environment itself working against focus.

Beyond the Classroom

This struggle extends far beyond students. Professionals, creators, and leaders — anyone whose work depends on sustained thought — face the same challenge.
When attention fragments, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and innovation all suffer.

We end up producing more activity than achievement — a generation constantly engaged, but seldom present. The cost of lost productivity is alarmingly high. Beyond economics, this restlessness drives organizations to turn toward non-humans — bots and AI — not only for efficiency, but because human focus has become unreliable.

Reclaiming Control: A Path Forward

To reclaim our attention, we need both personal discipline and collective awareness. For both, we can adopt a simple mantra:
Resist distraction. Build attention.

Here are a few starting points:

• Single-tasking: Set dedicated blocks of time for one task only — no tabs, no toggles.

• Digital hygiene: Turn off non-essential notifications. Keep your phone out of sight while working.

• Scheduled disconnection: Spend part of each day offline — read, walk, or simply be still.

• Mindfulness: Simple breathing or meditation practices retrain the brain to resist constant stimulus.

• Learning reform: Encourage depth over speed. Slow reading and reflection build lasting understanding.

The Way Ahead

Intermittent attention isn’t a personal flaw — it’s a cultural symptom. The systems around us are designed to reward distraction. But the future will not belong to those connected to everything — it will belong to those capable of connecting deeply to one thing at a time.

Focus, then, becomes an act of quiet rebellion.
In a world that thrives on speed, the one who pauses, reflects, and stays present will not only think better — they will live better.

So, as we move forward, let’s carry one question with us:

What deserves my full attention today — and am I willing to give it that gift?

Link to Part 1

Link to Part 3

Timeless Wisdom on Focus: What the Great Minds Taught Us About Concentration

 

Picture this: I’m sitting with my laptop, trying to write today’s post. But the problem is — I can’t focus. My attention keeps bouncing between the cup of tea on my right and the smartphone on my left.

Sounds familiar? It probably does.
This tug-of-war of attention has a name — intermittent attention.

I’ll be delving deeper into that subject in one of the coming days — the rhythm of focus in our daily lives.
But before that, let’s pause and revisit what some of the greatest minds have said about concentration.

Across centuries, scientists, philosophers, writers, and leaders have echoed one truth:

Focus is a superpower.

It’s a challenge to pick just five timeless thoughts from so many great ones — so here’s a random selection, yet each one a gem:

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
— Alexander Graham Bell

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea... This is the way to success.”
— Swami Vivekananda

“Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore.”
— James Clear

“Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade — in short, in all management of human affairs.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence — without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.”
— Charles Dickens

Each of these voices points to the same essence:

Attention is the bridge between thought and achievement.

And perhaps tomorrow, we can explore what happens when that bridge begins to flicker — and how to find our way back.

Link to Part 2

Like to Part 3