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Completing numerous tasks simultaneously is frequently seen as a sign of achievement—yet juggling multiple activities could be harming our health.
A prominent general practitioner has cautioned that continuous multi-tasking, where individuals handle several duties or assignments at once, may possibly harm us. brain health.
"While we believe we're being efficient, switching between activities strains the mind," stated Dr. Amir Khan in a TikTok a video viewed over 33,700 times
Addressing his 67,000 fans, he listed off ' Five daily routines that are subtly accelerating cognitive aging
He started with: "First of all, continuous multi-tasking."
We believe we are working efficiently, yet switching between activities puts pressure on the mind.
It may impair temporary recall and elevate our cortisol levels.
Eventually, this may impact our gray matter, associated with concentration and managing emotions.
It appears this is a widespread misunderstanding, since when we concentrate on a single task, the brain utilizes both halves of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) together.
People have always thought that women are better than men at handling multiple tasks—an ability that was traditionally required because they were expected to manage a household, care for children, and provide meals for their husbands and work full time— but recent studies have suggested that males are capable of rising to the occasion.
Last year, a survey among 2,000 British people, 60 percent of men and women said they considered themselves to be a "capable multitasker."
But this is probably not accurate, as a separate study only 2.5 percent of individuals could handle two tasks simultaneously without experiencing a decline in their work quality.
In the comments under Dr. Khan's video, a social media viewer questioned: "Is there evidence suggesting that multitasking and engaging various areas of the brain can be beneficial?"
The prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain responsible for handling tasks such as planning, making decisions, maintaining working memory, and managing social interactions.
However, when attempting another activity simultaneously, the left and right hemispheres of our brain must operate separately—which may lead to strain on the organ.
As stated by Dr. Jennifer E. Davies, a specialist in neuropsychology from Brown University, "The process of multitasking involves quickly shifting attention from one task to another."

Although she pointed out that these impacts may be short-term, she further stated, "Long-term elevated blood pressure and stress can lead to lasting changes in the brain."
Continuously shifting between tasks puts a strain on the mind. It effectively exhausts it and reduces its effectiveness.
It specifically impacts our capacity to concentrate overall, even during times when we aren’t juggling multiple tasks.
Writing in a blog At Brown University Health, she cautioned: "Switching between tasks briefly elevates stress, leading to higher blood pressure and pulse."
Engaging in multiple tasks at once is linked to signs of depressive and anxious feelings.
Scientists have also discovered that attempting to handle several tasks simultaneously can result in temporary memory issues.
Other studies has discovered that it leads to considerable mental anguish and strain on the cardiovascular system.
Nevertheless, the professor from Brown University stated: "The sole instance when genuine multitasking occurs is when one task is entirely automatic, such as jogging on a treadmill."

She comforted them: "It's fine to read a book while using the treadmill or doing laundry as you watch TV."
Rather than doing so, she cautioned about "poor multitasking" which includes attempting to perform two tasks at once that demand your focus, such as "checking your emails during a Zoom conference."
Professionals have warned about the risks associated with "media multitasking"—like sending messages while viewing television, or surfing the web while enjoying music.
Earlier, researchers discovered that multitasking may reduce the portion of the brain responsible for processing emotions.
Individuals who simultaneously utilized several electronic gadgets exhibited reduced gray matter volume in specific regions of the brain associated with motor control, recollection, and emotional regulation.
Only last year, a BT Network Wrapped study discovered that over a third of British people frequently divide their focus among several devices.
It comes as no surprise that Generation Z—individuals born between 1997 and 2012—were the ones who reported using secondary devices the most.
Mr. Khan also cautioned about four additional typical behaviors that might be damaging.
He listed His second most harmful habit for accelerating brain aging is long-term lack of sufficient sleep.
"Each poor night affects memory and focus. Prolonged insufficient sleep, especially during deep sleep stages, hampers the brain's waste removal system," he stated.
That's the brain's method of removing waste, leading to increased buildup of plaques in the brain, associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Coming in third was doom-scrolling, an activity that was recently associated with increased levels of adolescent anxiety and depression.
Researchers discovered that teenagers spending over two hours scrolling through negative content were twice as likely to experience anxiety and four times more prone to develop depression.
Dr Khan said: 'H Our passive scrolling stimulates the brain, triggers the stress reaction, and decreases dopamine responsiveness, impacting both memory and emotional state, along with blue light exposure prior to bedtime disrupting melatonin production, which affects quality of rest.
He additionally cautioned against "missing meals, particularly breakfast."
The doctor stated, "Glucose serves as the main energy source for the brain. While intermittent fasting may offer benefits in certain situations, frequently missing meals can impair focus and lead to mental confusion, particularly for individuals with hectic schedules or those experiencing hormone changes."
Finally, he mentioned loneliness as a threat to the mind.
He stated, 'Social engagement offers protection.' 'Research indicates that feelings of isolation can be equally detrimental to mental well-being as smoking 15 cigarettes daily.'
Engaging in social interactions can enhance cognitive resilience and lower the chances of developing dementia, even through simple conversations with friends or neighbors.
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