Task switching is cognitive self-sabotage, expert says: Exhausted like after a marathon, with results like walking in place

A person can spend the whole day answering emails, taking calls, checking Teams, correcting spreadsheets and commenting on a presentation, yet still feel that the most important task has barely moved. That is the paradox of task switching, according to Prof. Anna Baczyńska of the Department of Human Resource Management at Kozminski University in Warsaw.

Baczyńska compares constant task changes to being told every five minutes to leave one train and board another, followed by surprise that the passenger has not arrived on time. In her view, moving repeatedly between responsibilities does not demonstrate modern efficiency. It creates a costly cognitive burden.

The issue appears in the television series “The Game Changer,” whose central character, Isla Gordon, unexpectedly becomes president of the Los Angeles Waves basketball club. Gordon must make strategic decisions about the team's future, advertising partnerships and player transfers. She also acts as a therapist for athletes facing personal crises, negotiates with other clubs and manages disputes among teammates.

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Continuous switching between tasks is not a sign of modern efficiency, but a very costly cognitive burden. Put simply, it is a bit like making someone get off one train and board another every five minutes, then wondering why they have not arrived on time.

The ability to redirect attention can be valuable in a senior role, particularly when working conditions change quickly. But frequent shifts over a longer period can damage productivity and concentration, even for highly persistent employees. Research cited by the American Psychological Association, including work by David E. Meyer, Joshua S. Rubinstein and Jeffrey E. Evans of the University of Michigan, finds that changing tasks costs time, disrupts the flow of work and increases the likelihood of mistakes.

Baczyńska says employees may feel exhausted “like after a marathon,” while the result can resemble “walking in place.” Research by Sophie Leroy on attention residue also points to the difficulty of fully leaving one task behind when attention has already moved to another.

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A person is exhausted like after a marathon, while the result sometimes resembles walking in place.