Multitasking noise

When was the last time you did just one thing?

We turn on the radio the moment we get into the car. We turn on the TV while cooking. We commute with podcasts, exercise with music, eat with screens, sleep with stories we never finish. All of us multitask—we fill every empty space with noise.

Most people misunderstand multitasking as doing more of what matters, using more energy, and producing more results. In reality, when we multitask, we’re avoiding the things that actually matter—because those things require energy. So we conserve energy by doing many unimportant things instead, and the results are usually poor.

I’ve noticed that when I’m tired from work, I’ll put Netflix on half the screen and browse shopping sites on the other half. A glass of wine on the table, a guitar in my hand—and I convince myself this is “rest.” The result? I have no idea what I watched, sometimes I buy things I regret, I drink too much, and my guitar practice goes nowhere.

I later learned that choosing just one activity gives me deeper relaxation and much better recovery (measured by sleep quality). Or, honestly, it’s often better to just go to bed. But choosing to do only one thing takes a lot more energy—that’s why I default to multitasking instead.

Multitasking teaches us to focus less and less. And that lack of focus slowly steals certain skills from us. If you constantly fill silence with noise—playing something in the background at all times—you won’t be able to edit video or compose music with depth and intention.

These are just examples from my own life. How about you?

What important skill might you be losing—by filling every quiet space with noise or multitasking?