AUGUST , 2023 | THE HEALTH

BRAINNOTES

BY TONY PEREIRA

In my case , I was expected to handle working with multiple communication platforms - Slack , WhatsApp , SMS and email , to name a few . I refused to download TikTok or Instagram , and Twitter .

It was just getting too much . I remember getting a call from one of my colleagues some time ago . He asked me if I had read his WhatsApp message . I responded that my phone was charging , so I had not . He said , “ You don ’ t have WhatsApp on your computer ?”.

Until then , I did not realise I could replicate WhatsApp on my phone onto the laptop . Just another distraction to affect my productivity . It was only after I started my courses on neuroscience that I learnt a startling fact – the brain can only deal with one thing at a time . The brain cannot multi-task !

Some of you might snigger at such a comment , but neuroscientists have conducted several tests and concluded that the brain can only work on one task at a time despite being a supercomputer . If you google how many pieces of information the brain processes daily , you will get a staggering 70,000 .

Yet , the conscious brain can only focus on one item at a time . When we multi-task , what we are doing is switching tasks . The brain does not enjoy task-switching . It is energy-consuming , results in a lack of focus and is more likely to reduce productivity because we are not focussed . And yes , it is more than likely that we end up making errors .

Those who have read Daniel Kahneman ’ s Thinking Fast and Slow will know about System 1 and System 2 . Modern-day scientists now refer to System 1 and 2 as Type 1 and Type 2 processing .

Type 1 is fast , requires minimum attention and is almost like the automatic response to a situation . Low energy levels and effort are needed . An example of a Type 1 activity is the daily route one takes to work . Little thinking is required . Type 2 requires the engagement of the prefrontal cortex - the executive part of the brain .

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SWITCH TASKS

Say you have to travel to a new location for work , then Type 1 processing does not work . More attention and focus is required because one would engage the prefrontal cortex to plan the route to

the new location . When we switch tasks ( the so-called multi-tasking activity ), several things take place in the brain . Firstly , cortisol is released from the gut . Cortisol is the hormone which is released when we are under stress .

Each time we switch tasks , the brain has to stop processing what it was processing and start a new activity . Then when we switch tasks again , the brain stops and restarts . The brain was not created for this process and hence gets into stress

Each time we switch tasks , the brain has to stop processing what it was processing and start a new activity . Then when we switch tasks again , the brain stops and restarts .” mode , and cortisol is released into the bloodstream and travels to the brain .

Secondly , there is what neuroscientists call attention residue . In simple terms , this means that when we work on more than one task and switch tasks , although the brain appears to be working on the task at hand , a part of the brain will reflect on the unfinished task . Hence the focus on the current tasks is not there , and most likely , errors will occur . How many of us can switch off from a previous uncompleted task when task switching ?

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was a Hungarian American psychologist who identified the concept of flow state - a state of mind where one focuses on a particular task . He claimed that individuals in a flow state can deliver superior-quality work . The management consulting behemoth McKinsey claims that when an executive is in a flow state , the executive is up to 500 per cent more effective than when dealing with multiple tasks . Csikszentmihalyi came up with a few tips on how to get into a flow state . They are summarised in the chart below :

The first couple of tips are straightforward . Item # 3 says that we

get into the flow state when the task ahead of us is marginally higher than our competency level . Because of the challenge ahead , we get into this state of flow to problem-solve .

FIVE POWERFUL NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Conversely , if the task is below our level of competency , we will get distracted because we do not enjoy the task and find it boring . The other important criterion for achieving a flow state is the passion one has for the task .

The more passionate one is about the task , the easier it is to get into the flow state . Musicians and elite sports athletes are two types of groups that aspire to get into a flow state . Companies such as Microsoft and Google have “ flow days ”, where staff are allowed to work on their favourite projects with no questions asked .

Another discovery of the flow state - it is the only time when five powerful neurotransmitters are released simultaneously , which gives the individual “ superpower ” abilities that Csikszentmihalyi spoke about in his work on flow . The five neurotransmitters are as follows :

• Norepinephrine , which increases alertness and attention ;

• Dopamine , which enhances motivation and learning ;

• Serotonin , which regulates mood and social behaviour ;

• Anandamide , which promotes creativity and happiness ; and

• Endorphins , which reduce pain and stress Getting back to task switching , another consequence of task switching , is known as dual-task interference . When we are working on a particular task , the information we absorb is encoded by our working , short-term memory .

This encoding process is disrupted each time we switch from one task to another . We do not retain the information we gather because the process is disrupted every few minutes .

In reality , we are all probably required to task switch in our day-to-day jobs . Anyone who says they can multi-task effectively is perhaps not being truthful . But to the extent that we have to get competent at task switching , it is best to plan your day and carve out periods when you focus only on the task .

Make it a discipline to avoid task switching . Turn off any notifications you have on your phone or laptop . Close the door if necessary . Your employer will thank you for it . Your brain will thank you for it . – The Health

Tony Pereira is an Independent Consultant and Founder of SuperTrouper365