The True Cost of Multitasking Isn't Productivity—It's Mental Health When I set out to write a piece about multitasking, my goal was to review and present some scientific studies showing exactly how multitasking impacts productivity. Because it definitely impacts productivity, right? I hear that all of the time. As it turns out, I couldn't find much to support that claim. In fact, I found one study that showed multitasking actually makes people more productive. What I did find, though, was that even if multitasking were to impact your productivity, it would be the least detrimental of its side effects. The true costs of multitasking are to your mental health, happiness, focus, and ability to learn new things. So the real reason you shouldn't multitask isn't that you want...