Multitasking Is Killing Your Focus

I used to pride myself on multitasking. I’d have a game running, a stream playing in the background, and a chat window open—all at once. I thought I was being efficient, but I was wrong. Research on the impact of multitasking shows that the human brain isn’t wired to handle multiple complex tasks simultaneously. Instead, it switches rapidly between them, leading to errors, slower reaction times, and mental fatigue. My in-game task focus was suffering, and I didn’t even realize it.

The wake-up call came during a ranked match. I was playing a MOBA, chatting with friends, and half-watching a tutorial. I made a critical mistake—misclicking an ability—and cost my team the game. That’s when I decided to test a radical idea: single-tasking. For one week, I played games without any distractions. No music, no streams, no chats. Just me and the game. The difference was staggering. My reaction times improved, I made fewer mistakes, and I actually remembered more of what happened in each session.

Now, I approach gaming like a athlete approaches training: with focus and intentionality. If I want to chat, I chat. If I want to play, I play. No overlap. The result? Better performance, deeper immersion, and a whole lot less stress. Multitasking isn’t a skill—it’s a myth. And the sooner you let it go, the sooner you’ll unlock your true potential.