© 2026 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Register for the Extremely American AMA

Why we should be monotasking, not multitasking, at work

A person working on a laptop in North Andover, Massachusetts. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Elise Amendola/AP
A person working on a laptop in North Andover, Massachusetts. (Elise Amendola/AP)

Modern workplace culture pressures us to multitask even though research shows multitasking makes most people less productive, more stressed out and worse at their jobs.

Rather than trying to multitask, we need to start monotasking, said David Epstein, a journalist and author who writes about human productivity and performance. His latest book is called “Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.