Parallel Tasking and ADHD: How to Reduce Distractions

Let’s be honest; our ADHD brains move lightning-fast, right?

In a matter of moments, we bounce from: 

• The presentation due for work on Friday
• To the 67 emails you’ve received before lunch
• To ordering the birthday cupcakes (within the next hour!) so your daughter can bring them to school the next day

If you’re anything like me, the temptation to multitask in situations like this is strong.

Your brain likely tells you, “it’ll be so much faster if I do a few things at once.” 

But in my own experience, every time I try to “do a few things at once,” I find myself completely distracted with a pile of half-finished tasks – some of which weren’t even on my to-do list in the first place.

(You’ve been here before, too, right? Not just me?)

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “But Paula – I can’t get anything done unless I’m multitasking. I can’t stay focused for long enough to complete one thing from start to finish.”

If that’s the case, I got you covered.

This is where the practice of parallel tasking comes in.

In episode 199 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast, I’m sharing all about it.

Tune in today and learn how parallel tasking can help you focus on what’s most important with less restlessness and distraction.

It’s a game-changer. 

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.   

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for the entire podcast transcript. 

In This Episode, You Will Discover

• The difference between multi-tasking and parallel-tasking 
• How parallel tasking helps increase focus and follow through
• Strategies to use parallel tasking in your life

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Episode #199: Parallel Tasking and ADHD: How to Reduce Distractions (Transcript) 

Today we’re talking about a topic that I think is so relevant to our community. It’s something that I think most of us question at different points in our busy days and weeks, and in fact, I was inspired to create the episode because someone in the February cohort of We’re Busy Being Awesome brought it up for coaching in our most recent call.

What are we talking about here?

We’re talking about the role of multitasking and whether it can be a way to get things done with an ADHD brain.

On the call, one of my clients explained that she couldn’t seem to do anything unless she was multi-tasking. Now here’s the deal – depending on what she means by multi-tasking, this isn’t inherently a “problem.”

This might sound quite confusing to many of you since I am often talking about the myth of multi-tasking and arguing for how truly ineffective it is.

Spoiler alert – I’m not changing my tune today. I still think this is the case with actual multi-tasking. BUT there is a nuanced distinction for something that could also be labeled as multitasking, that I want to highlight today.

You see I’ve found that a lot of us tend to use the word multi-tasking to mean a couple of different things – namely multi-tasking as I’ve talked about it on the podcast, where we’re constantly task-switching between two or more activities.

As well as what Nir Eyal calls in his book Indistractable, “multi-channel multi-tasking,” and others have called parallel tasking.

It’s this latter category that can actually be a useful approach to focusing with an ADHD brain.

I talked with my client about the difference between these approaches to multitasking on the call, I realized that this is a really important distinction that I wanted to make on the podcast, too.

So today, we’re talking about the difference between parallel tasking and multitasking, and the potential benefits that parallel tasking can offer when it comes to increasing focus for an ADHD brain.

Parallel Tasking Vs. Multi-Tasking: What’s The Difference?

So let’s first talk about the difference between what – on the outside – both seem like multitasking activities. What is the difference? Let’s start with multi-tasking in the traditional sense – what is this?

Multi-Tasking

As you may have heard me talk about in-depth in my episode on attention residue – multi-tasking is when we think we’re effectively doing two things at the same time – like answering DMs on Instagram and holding a conversation with our partner. In reality though, we’re really just task switching between two or more tasks quickly – and often poorly.

You’re not actually doing the same thing at the same time. Instead, you’re bouncing between two tasks back and forth.

So many of us – myself included – genuinely believe we can multitask in this way… we think we’re accomplishing more and getting two things done at once. But in reality – it’s slowing us down.

Now, sometimes it’s simply the cards we were dealt in that given circumstance, and we choose to bounce back and forth between the two things.

For example

Maybe you’re helping your child with their math homework while also trying to make dinner without burning it.

However, when it comes to focusing on deep work for a big project or accomplishing focused work that is cognitively demanding, this approach can be super counterproductive.

When you are constantly switching between these demanding tasks, you’re creating a ton of attention residue, which is really taxing on the brain. Just think of all that transition time as you start and stop each task over and over; this residue builds up with each switch.

Since transitions can really throw us off as ADHD brains, this kind of practice can lead to:

• A real decrease in productivity
• An increase in errors
• Stress and overwhelm, too.

Of course, as humans, we all face the allure of multitasking like this every day. And as our dopamine-seeking ADHD brains are always looking for novelty, we’re especially susceptible to it. Not surprisingly, this is NOT the type of multitasking that can be supportive of our productivity.

Even though we’re tempted to do it, there isn’t any research that speaks to it being effective. I know this is blunt, but honestly, it really is just a way of doing two things poorly.

Parallel Tasking

When we look at parallel tasking or multi-channel multitasking, this approach is where the brain literally IS doing two things at once.

The important distinction with parallel tasking is it can’t just be whatever two tasks you choose. Instead, it’s done in a very specific way with very specific types of tasks.

I really like the way Nir Eyal who is the author of Indistractible (and several other books) explains this, so I’m going to quote him here.

He says in order to understand what specific tasks work for multi-channel multi-tasking, we need to understand three things.

1. “The brain has a limit on its processing horsepower — the more concentration a task requires, the less room it has for anything else. That’s why we can’t solve two math problems at the same time.”
2. “The brain has a limited number of attention channels, and it can only make sense of one sensory signal at a time. You can’t listen to two different podcasts, one in each ear, without mentally tuning out one of them. We can only receive information from one visual or auditory source at a time.”
3. “We are perfectly capable of processing multichannel inputs — something scientists call “cross-modal attention.” It allows our brains to place certain mental processes on autopilot while we think about other things. In fact, studies have found that people can do some things better when they engage multiple sensory inputs. Some types of learning are enhanced when people also engage their auditory, visual, and tactile senses at the same time.”

Understanding Parallel Tasking

Okay – so let me repeat this a little differently so we can unpack it. Again, we need to understand three things in order to identify the tasks that allow us to drop into this parallel tasking or multi-channel multitasking.

1. Our Brain Has Limited Power To Process Information At Once

We first need to remember that we only have so much power in our brains to process information at once. Imagine a computer from the 1990s trying to run multiple big programs at once – it just doesn’t have the processing power.

I love his example that we can’t solve two math problems at once.

We have to do one and then the other. The brain can’t tackle both simultaneously.

2. The Brain Can Only Process A Certain Number of Inputs At A Time

Second, we need to remember that the brain can only process a certain number of inputs at a time.

This is why – if you’re on the phone trying to schedule an appointment when your partner or child is asking you a completely unrelated question, your brain wants to melt, and you want to throw your phone across the room. We can’t process cognitively demanding things from two inputs at once.

3. We Must Choose The Right Activities + One On Autopilot

Third, in order to make this parallel tasking work, we need to choose the right activities that speak to different parts of the brain, and we need to be able to do at least one of them on autopilot.

This last part is key; I’m going to say it one more time because it’s the part we tend to overlook.

You must be able to do at least one of the tasks on autopilot in order to truly drop into parallel tasking rather than get tricked into multitasking where we task switch back and forth and ultimately do two things poorly.

Unfortunately, most of us hear that some people can multitask, and we convince ourselves that we are those people and that means we can write emails, read an article, and finish our report all at once. But again, that’s not how it works.

First of all, those are all similar inputs. Second of all, we can’t do any of on autopilot. So instead, we’re constantly task-switching between them.

What we need are activities from different channels, with at least one we can do on autopilot.

Examples Of Parallel Tasking (Aka Multi-Channel Tasking)

We know that there is a type of multitasking that can work, and we know that it’s not replying to emails and grading student papers at the same time.

• What does this parallel tasking or multi-channel multitasking actually look like?
• How do we know that we’re doing activities that “work” rather than constantly task switching?

I’ll start with an example I’m willing to bet that at least 90% of you listening to this very episode are doing right now.

This is because podcasts are a great candidate for parallel tasking. 

Just think about it, you are likely listening to this podcast while out on a walk, or driving to work, or making lunch, or getting ready in the morning, or picking up around the house.

Maybe you are listening to the episode – auditory input – while following along with the transcript on the website – visual input. So podcasting is a great example of this parallel tasking or multi-channel multitasking.

Another might be folding laundry while watching whatever favorite show you’re binging right now.

For you regular listeners, you know I’ve been really big on knitting, which – alongside crocheting – are both excellent candidates for parallel tasking.

Other examples of Parallel Tasking Might Include:

• Drawing or doodling
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Woodworking
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Coloring

Now notice that when I started listing options, I said other examples MIGHT include. This is because if the tasks aren’t automatic for you, they likely won’t be good candidates at first because they will require too much brain power.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t get there. So don’t get discouraged. In fact, you absolutely can get to automatic with practice. But not all of them will work for all people.

For example, if I was doing woodworking, which I haven’t done since I got a woodworking craft kit when I was 10 and now that I’m saying this out loud, I’m pretty sure I was carving soap…not wood.  But regardless, if I started woodworking, I’d probably injure myself if I was paying attention to anything else as I learned how to whittle or whatever.

Similarly, when I was first learning to knit, I had to pay super careful attention, or I’d miss stitches or forget what stitch I was doing or would mess up how I was holding the yarn, and the stitches would get super uneven. But then I got a little more comfortable with it, and I could listen to audiobooks or podcasts while knitting.

It actually helped me focus more on the message in the book. Now I can knit while watching a movie or talking on the phone, and – again – I’m able to maintain even clearer, more focused attention than if I was sitting simply staring at the show or listening to the other person on the other end of the line.

Parallel tasking is actually strengthening my focus.

So again, it’s really important to find the right balance between the tasks you’re trying to do simultaneously; you want to make sure they’re addressing different channels AND at least one – if not both – are automatic tasks.

And if you’re focusing on a particularly demanding cognitive task, some brains may find it’s actually better to just focus on that thing unless the other input is simply listening to focus music or brown noise or something like that. But again, that’s a balance that differs for everyone.

The Benefits Of Parallel Tasking For The ADHD Brain

As I alluded to, if done correctly with truly automatic tasks, there are actually benefits to this kind of parallel tasking – especially for the ADHD brain – when it comes to focus.

In fact, about a month ago, there was an article released in the New York Times titled “Knitters Say Stitching Helps Them Follow The Thread In Meetings.”

The author quotes John Ratey, who is a leading voice in the ADHD space and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, states…

“The fine motor movement required for knitting, crocheting, doodling, or using a fidget spinner activates the same parts of the brain used for focus… so these activities really do help to sharpen awareness. But other activities that require too much concentration, like reading a social media feed or playing a game on a smartphone, can push a person out of productivity and into unfocused multitasking. Being involved with something will make a person with flagging attention be more attentive, Dr. Ratey said. You will turn on the prefrontal cortex if you’re doing something like knitting.”

John Ratey

In other words, these activities that we can do on autopilot tap into the same part of the brain that controls focus, and by doing these automatic tasks, we’re sharpening our focus as well. This is incredible!

For those of you who do geek out on this stuff, I also want to mention one more resource, which is a book called Fidget to Focus by Sarah D. Wright and Dr. Roland Rotz.

Now as we know, people with ADHD have brains that require additional stimulation to stay focused and alert.

When we navigate boredom, our brains start to drift.

The authors argue that fidgeting can help people with ADHD stay focused by providing them with the stimulation that they need. Whether they use an actual fidget, listen to music, doodle on paper, chew gum, bounce their knee, or crochet, these are ways to help self-regulate and stay focused.

I know this is a quite-heavy episode – but I totally went down the research rabbit hole here and have one more quote that I want to share.

One of the things the authors mentioned is …

“All adults self-regulate with sensory-motor activities. When we get tired of sitting at our desks, we get up for a cup of coffee. We switch on the radio in the car to keep us interested while driving… Even as adults, we need the right balance of sensory-motor stimulation to keep us in our comfort zone.”

By incorporating these automatic tasks – and again, I want to really stress the word automatic, we are not reading a book and grading papers. We are not writing code and answering emails. When we’re introducing an automatic task that uses a different sensory input from the other thing we’re doing, it can really support and even enhance better focus.

As I mentioned, this has certainly been my experience with knitting, doing puzzles, and coloring.

In fact, I always work on my knitting project when I’m editing this podcast. I press play and listen as I knit. I found it helps me really listen to what I’m saying rather than accidentally zoning out and passively listening, which is so easy to do when I have been working on the content– researching, writing, recording all day.

Since the information is familiar to me by that time, and I’ve been immersed in the topic for several hours, it’s easy for me to overlook whether the ideas flow smoothly from one to the next, or if something might be better introduced earlier on in the episode. But when I am knitting, my attention doesn’t wander nearly as much. I’m able to track the episode and notice potential holes or areas I need to edit much more easily.

So again, there are tons of benefits to parallel tasking or multi-channel multitasking for people with ADHD brains when it comes to focus.

More Benefits of Parallel Tasking:

• Improved focus and concentration
• A reduction in the negative impact of boredom since the automatic task keeps our hands busy, in turn reducing distraction and boredom.
• We’re able to channel our restlessness into that activity.
• Increased productivity

When I’m doing the repetitive task of knitting, it prevents my brain from zoning out.

Parallel tasking requires just enough attention to keep me focused rather than drifting off into thinking about plans for later that day or whatever else might be on my mind and wasting that time since I’d have to go back and re-listen again.

Additionally, as a throwback to last week’s episode, having some sort of automatic task paired with another can help you stick with it. It can help you follow through to completion.

If you’re absorbed in working on the puzzle, and you have a long lecture to get through, you’ll likely have an easier time sticking with it and staying focused on the material than if you were simply sitting there listening to it. Because you’re channeling your energy into the puzzle, you’re less likely to Click over to your inbox or pick up your phone to scroll Instagram or get up and get a snack or anything else to distract you.

Strategies to use parallel tasking in your life

I want to leave you with a couple of quick tips on how you can identify your own parallel tasking activities and what would be most supportive for you.

Generally, you’ll want to consider your interests, your skills, and the specific task you want to complete.

Choose An Automatic Task You Enjoy

When choosing the automatic task, you want to find one that you enjoy doing, and one you can do for a sustained period of time.

You may have puzzles lying around, but if you hate doing them, don’t choose that as something to do when listening to the training for your night class.

If you do that, you’ll likely be focused on how much you hate doing the puzzle rather than letting the puzzle activity fall to the background as you focus on the content of the lecture.

Make Sure The Task Is Something You Can Do On Autopilot

Similarly, make sure that your activity is genuinely one that you have locked in on autopilot.

You may love knitting, but you’re also brand new at it. If you’re anything like me, when you’re new to a craft like this, all of your attention will be focused on keeping the stitches on the needles and holding the yarn in the right position in your hand. You will not be able to focus on the material or the conversation.

So check in and ensure that the other task is genuinely locked in.

Final Takeaway

All right. I know this was a content-heavy episode. Thank you for sticking with me.

As a quick recap, please remember that multitasking is not all the same as parallel tasking.

Regular multitasking, where we I think we can do two or more cognitively demanding tasks at the same time is a myth. That has not changed.

But for many of us with ADHD and ADHD tendencies, there is the process of parallel tasking, which can help us focus even more on the project or task we want to complete.

We heighten that sense of focus by pairing it with an automatic task that uses a different input.

• Listen to a lecture – audio input while walking outside
• Have a conversation while coloring
• Listen to music while cooking dinner
• Tune into this podcast while driving to work

These are all excellent ways to help heighten your focus, channel your restlessness, and follow through on those projects and tasks.