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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