Georgetown Professor Cal Newport thinks uninterrupted, distraction-free deep work is so important that if you’re unable to do this at your current job, you should start looking for another.

“Many people have convinced themselves that it’s crucial that they are always connected, both professionally and socially, but the reality is that this requirement is self-imposed,” he says. “Shallow tasks like reading and responding to emails or checking social media might prevent you from getting fired, but it’s deep tasks that produce the value and build the skills that get you promoted.”

If it’s self-imposed, like Newport suggests, then what is really preventing people from accomplishing the demanding, cognitive, head-down work that’s needed to thrive professionally? As Newport mentions in his new book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, it’s the bouncing around from task to task, or multitasking, that deteriorates the muscle allowing you to focus. And the more you multitask, the less comfortable you’ll be “going deep for extended periods of time,” he writes.

Photo: Puwadol Jaturawutthichai via Shutterstock

Research repeatedly tells us that multitasking is detrimental to our brain. Although jumping from task to task may result in a false sense of accomplishment, human brains weren’t built to multitask. A number of research studies have concluded that our brains are actually “dumbed down” while multitasking.

Although jumping from task to task may result in a false sense of accomplishment, human brains weren’t built to multitask.

A study at the University Of London found that subjects who multitasked experienced drops in their IQ comparable to someone who missed a night of sleep. Even if multitaskers feel like they’re getting more done, they’re working at a much lower cognitive level and costing companies billions of dollars in lost productivity.

And the cognitive costs get worse. If you’re a multitasker, you might have done some serious permanent damage, as a study that ran MRI scans on the brains of multitaskers found they had less brain density in areas that controlled empathy and emotions.

Furthermore, multitaskers become addicted to the instant gratification that comes after completing a small task, like sending an email. This leads to a dangerous feedback loop that leaves you believing you’re producing at optimal rate, but this is deceptive.