The myth of multitasking in engineering and what to do instead

By Edmund Adu Asamoah August 18 2025 • 6 min read

Sticky notes and task switching — Busy is not the same as effective. Focus wins.

Multitasking sounds productive. In practice it is context switching with a smile. Every switch forces your brain to reload the problem, the variables, and the last decision you made. That reload time is pure overhead and it compounds across a day.

Engineering work is especially sensitive to this. Deep logic does not like interruptions. When we hop between tickets, chats, and builds, we pay in bugs, delays, and stress. The good news is there are simple habits that make focus the default.

Context reload

Minutes lost

WIP too high

Throughput drops

Interrupt rate

Fewer is better

Daily goal

One clear win

One stream at a time beats three tabs at once. Single threading is a superpower.

Why multitasking hurts engineering work

Reload tax: switching tasks forces a mental reload. Small in isolation, expensive in aggregate.
Shallow depth: constant pings keep you in surface level thinking where tricky bugs hide.
Queueing effect: high work in progress slows everything. Fewer items in flight finish faster.
Error rate: fragmented attention leaks quality. Reviews and tests catch less when rushed.

Signs you are context switching too much

Struggle to resume where you left off without rereading code or docs.
Frequent half finished branches and long lived PRs.
Busy calendar with no visible shipping.
Feeling tired after a day of small flurries with little to show.

What to do instead

Here is a simple playbook that works for teams and for solo builders. Pick two or three moves and make them habits.

1) Focus blocks

Book 60 to 90 minute blocks for deep work.
Mute notifications and close chat during the block.
End with a short note on what to do next.

2) WIP limits

Cap active tickets to a small number per person.
Finish before you start. Pull new work only when ready.
Visualize flow on a board you review daily.

3) Batch interrupts

Set office hours for help and questions.
Turn off popups and check messages at set times.
Group meetings back to back. Protect one clear runway.

4) Communication contracts

Define expected response times per channel.
Use clear subject lines and context in requests.
Escalate by exception, not by default.

5) Defrag your day

Cluster similar tasks like code reviews in one window.
Schedule shallow tasks after deep work, not before.
Leave breadcrumbs in code and notes to resume fast.

Practical takeaways

Limit work in progress. Fewer streams, faster finishes.
Protect deep work with real calendar blocks.
Batch interrupts and set response rules everyone understands.
End sessions with breadcrumbs so re entry is quick.

You do not need to work more hours to ship more. You need fewer switches and clearer focus.

A one week focus challenge

For the next 7 days, reduce switches and measure how you feel. Pick two habits from above and track them with a simple checkbox.

Book one focus block each workday and mute notifications.
Limit active tickets to a small number and finish before you start new ones.
Batch messages to two windows per day and leave breadcrumbs when you stop.

Tell me what changed Want a team workshop

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