Single-Tasking vs. Multitasking: Why Doing Less Helps You Achieve More

Alison Butler
Oct 22
3 min read

Updated: Oct 31

I said “squirrel” in the middle of a workplace training session on burnout prevention (yes, that’s the kind of real-life content you get when you hire me!) as I was sharing how our brains are constantly being pulled in a million directions at once and how hard it is to stay focused on the present moment in our hyper-technology world.

Smiling woman holds a green 3-D printed squirrel figurine. Text reads: "Single-Tasking: why quieting your 'squirrel brain' will help you get things done." Website shown.

The Surprising Power of Single Tasking

We live in a world that worships multitasking. We’re supposed to juggle messages, meetings, errands, and mental tabs 24/7/365. Never mind all of the work stuff + HOME stuff!

But here’s the thing: multitasking isn’t really multi. It’s just fast-switching and our brains aren’t built for it.

Can you believe that!??

When we jump between tasks, our focus splinters. Research shows it can take over 20 minutes to refocus after a distraction. That means even those “quick checks” like the email peek, the text reply, the scroll through social media add up to hours of lost clarity every week.

Single-tasking is the antidote. It’s not about doing less — it’s about doing one thing at a time, and doing it well.

What Happens When You Single-Task

When you give your full attention to one thing, your brain enters what psychologists call a flow state, that sweet spot where you’re fully absorbed, time slips away, and work feels effortless.

It’s why writing uninterrupted feels so different from writing between pings. It’s why conversations without a phone on the table feel more intimate. And it’s why focusing on one task often leaves you feeling calmer at the end of the day instead of scattered.

Real Life, Real Focus

Think of how you cook when you’re not rushed, chopping vegetables, hearing the sizzle, smelling the garlic. That’s presence.

Or how it feels to walk without earbuds once in a while, noticing the air, the sounds, the rhythm of your steps.

Single-tasking is simply bringing that same presence into everything else you do, from work projects to laundry to listening to someone you care about.

How to Reclaim Focus

Here are a few small but powerful ways to start:

Time-box your focus. Try a 30-minute “single-task sprint.” Choose one thing, silence distractions, and dive in. You’ll be amazed what gets done.
Create a capture zone. Keep a notebook or note app handy for random thoughts that try to pull you away. Jot them down and come back later.
Celebrate completion. At the end of each focus session, pause for 10 seconds and actually feel the satisfaction of finishing. It trains your brain to crave completion instead of distraction.

One Thing Done Well

Single-tasking isn’t about slowing down your ambition, it’s about amplifying your impact. When you stop spreading your attention thin, you create more of what actually matters, focus, quality, creativity.

You’re not falling behind by doing one thing at a time.

You’re actually getting ahead.

Honestly, letting go of the idea of “multi-tasking” as the PERFECT way to be productive is one of the biggest things I’ve had to UNLEARN in my life + career so far.

In fact, I’ve had to unlearn SO many of the things I used to do so that I can set better boundaries and have more time for the things that matter most in my life. That’s what we’re learning right now in the (UN) Program - the doors open for the next cohort in January so get yourself on the wait list to be the first to know!