The Nuance
Does Multitasking Really Tire Out My Brain?
Scientists disagree over whether certain mental tasks are more fatiguing than others
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic.
We’re all familiar with the sensation of mental fatigue. Your mind feels sluggish and bleary, like it’s gone soft around the edges. You also feel a little cranky and sleepy, and making decisions, even minor ones, is a struggle.
The longer you go without sleep and food, the more likely you are to experience this sort of mental lethargy. No surprise there. But comb through the research on cognitive fatigue and you’ll find a mountain of studies that suggest there are certain mental tasks that seem to drain our brains faster than others.
“Multitasking is a myth.”
Some of the most robust evidence suggests that multitasking is particularly fatiguing. A 2009 study in Brain Research found that people who spent two hours engaged in a multitasking challenge gradually made more errors and had slower reaction times, which the authors attributed to mental tiredness.
