Task switching creates “event boundaries” in your memory encoding circuits, which leads to fragmented and less robust recall and accuracy of your experiences, also degrades knowledge etc. Charan Ranganath explains on the Huberman Lab podcast out now:

This is why students must learn to do deep work. The moment you go on your phone or get interrupted, you halt your momentum. Studying and learning are hard enough; trying to do them whilst Instagram Reels is open is borderline impossible. Great episode, @hubermanlab

@CharanRanganath this is why new moms feel like they’re losing their minds as they bounce from baby’s needs to their needs to job to household

@CharanRanganath If you don't pay attention to any task then there is no real switching

I think this happens when one is interrupted externally , or snapped out of an a activity ( e.g. by an ad, or an algorithm change of sceen). When one changes between activities consciously , it has the opposite effect. Memory is not only enhanced, but background problem resolution is still going on. My humble experience , of course.

I love this informaiton. Lots of people used to believe that multi-tasking shows how smart they are, but actually it limits the brain functions and maybe it might lower the brain functions eventually when it get habits. On the other hand, just an idea popped up in my head now, multi-tasking people are smart, Because they do multiple things well even with limited brain power.

@CharanRanganath My takeaways is task switching creates mental "event boundaries" that can make it harder to remember the sequence of information across different tasks, essentially causing your brain to file memories into separate compartments

@CharanRanganath A tip: instead of battling distractions with sheer willpower, SCHEDULE them. Shift your approach from reactive to proactive by setting aside dedicated time to freely engage with distractions like your phone and emails.

I am learning and gaining new insights from this tool every day. I must say the healthy lifestyle, including sleep, diet, no alcohol, etc really matter. I have been having improving memory since I quit late afternoon coffee and improved my sleep. here is a summary of the topics covered in this episode:

@CharanRanganath Focus is key to mental clarity 💡👌

@CharanRanganath Does this explain the fact of inattention caused by frequent social media usage switching b/w multiple apps ?