We live in a world where more is required of us than ever before and as a result we are turning to productivity and experts to help us fit as much as possible into our daily lives. Given the pace at which we lead our lives, we turn to multitasking to become more efficient in a shorter amount of time. Multitasking is often considered the holy grail of productivity; it is said to allow multiple tasks to be performed simultaneously, thus enabling greater efficiency in a shorter period of time. One of the biggest pitfalls associated with multitasking is overestimating your ability to complete a certain number of tasks in a given period of time. Are our minds capable of such a task? Are there risks associated with multitasking? Is multitasking the most efficient way to get things done? What are our other options? Multitasking doesn't kill productivity if you do two things at once; for example, washing a car while listening to the radio, but your chances of remembering the music or interviews because you are concentrating on the first task of washing the car. Multitasking doesn't come naturally; consider how many sports there are that involve a single ball and how many of these players perform a single task. Consider how many insurance claims are made each year in relation to someone misjudging the space between their car and another in front, and consequently running after the car, all because of text messages, emails or a This is another form of multitasking while behind the wheel of a car. machine. The human mind is not equipped to handle multitasking that requires concentration and consideration, and short-term memory can only store five to nine pieces of information at any given time. Even if you are trying to do two different tasks that both require attention and consideration, your multitasking skills will fall apart and this will inevitably result in a lack of encoding in your short-term memory. The human mind cannot absorb or process two simultaneous streams of information and encode them directly into short-term memory. If information is not encoded in short-term memory, it cannot be imprinted in long-term memory, inevitably the information cannot be recalled, thus wasting time and effort. Multitasking is a source of stress. Frequent interruptions are a consequence of multitasking, which can lead to a sense of urgency, which in turn produces mental pressure.