The Multitasking Myth: Why Doing Two Things at Once Is Costing You Everything

For years, Theresa Flood believed multitasking was one of her greatest strengths. In this episode, she breaks down why that belief was wrong, and why it is wrong for most of us. Pulling from a Stanford University study that separated self identified high skill multitaskers from low skill multitaskers, Theresa unpacks a surprising finding: the group that considered themselves great at multitasking actually performed worse across the board. What we call multitasking is really activity switching, and the cost is steep. Research shows we lose nearly 28 percent of our day simply moving between tasks, and that switching leaves us with unfinished projects, distorted time estimates, more mistakes, and higher stress. Theresa introduces the concept of flow, the state where focus deepens and time seems to disappear, and lays out the three conditions required to get there: a task that challenges you without overwhelming you, a clear goal, and uninterrupted time. She challenges listeners to pick one task this week, remove the distractions, and protect real focused time to experience the difference for themselves. This episode is a practical reset for anyone who has ever worn multitasking as a badge of honor and wants to trade it in for real productivity and less stress.