Yet another question about women and multitasking: How much is too much multitasking?

Do you think that, at some point after the term 'multitasking' came into use, that women began to elevate it to a standard to live up to? Over the past few years, I've begun to see women performing some of the most incongruous actions together.



Earlier today, for example, I saw a woman putting on her mascara, drinking a Starbuck's latte, reading Martha Stewart's Living, talking on one cellphone while texting on another, breastfeeding her twins, solving a Rubik's Cube, and getting a Brazilian wax, all while driving 75 MPH on Interstate 5 (and she even signaled when changing lanes).



I have to admit, I was impressed, but I wonder: do any of you women catch yourself doing excessive multitasking out of some self-created societal pressure? After all, you now have a standard from which you're measured.Yet another question about women and multitasking: How much is too much multitasking?
That woman is my hero.





Yes, I do catch myself multi-tasking to the point of excess at times. We live in a high paced society, and it's always go go go, from dusk til' dawn. However, I have begun to make a conscious effort to not over-do it. Stress is bad for your health. If I don't get to wash the dishes because I spent an extra hour reading books with my daughter, or making a nice, time consuming 6 course meal for my family, so be it. Nobody's going to remember if I had dishes in my sink 30 years from now. They're going to remember the together time we had, and that's what matters to me.Yet another question about women and multitasking: How much is too much multitasking?
Wow you caught a good one.



Usually the ones I see are driving, talking on their cell phone and trying to hit my car without signaling (that's only 3, come on now ladies). Good thing I pay attention to other cars while I drive. You wont be hitting me any time soon!



Did you get the license number of the one you saw? You should give her a trophy.
The only multitasking I can do is answering q's on Yahoo Answers while at work. ;)



Besides that though, I must be a freak of nature because I don't have any multitasking abilities. I can't even concentrate on a book if the TV or music is on.
Was she driving with her feet (since her arms were full with twins {the girls and the GIRLS)) while getting a Brazilian?



Could I get the number of that person who does Brazilians in transit?
How about being a lady in the streets and freak in the sheets? lol...it requires role playing, taking on different personalities, looks, body language, verbal language...would you consider that too much multi-tasking? lol
Sometimes I have watch tv and talk on the cell-phone... while having sex... Thats pretty much as much multi-tasking as it gets...
I dont know why they make such a great deal about multitasking. Men can focus better on a single task than women do Although women are famous for their ability to multi-task, due to a thicker corpus collosum in the center of the brain (better communication between the 2 hemispheres), this same trait makes them more easily distracted and more difficult for them to focus all your attention to a single task. Now, what is more efficient? doing everything at the same time or doing everything in series quickly? ask an industrial engineer, or a manager, and they would say the latter.

I cant believe how some of the women that answered this question about how they use multitasking so proudly! My way of solving tasks is more efficient (series tasking, proven fact) and i dont go aroud bragging about it.

Jennifer C: thats not multitasking, thats doing tasks in a series, men麓s way. its more efficient so keep up the good work!
Oh my god! I can't believe you saw me! Well, that's all in a day's work. In fact, right now I'm practicing my magic tricks (that rabbit keeps getting away from me), reading Proust, gutting some fish, plucking my eybrows, learning how to play guitar, and doing the NY Times crossword. In pen. Oh yea. We women rock!!!
I'm always multi-tasking. While I'm at work, I usually have a running list of items to get at the grocery store, to do items like stopping for gas and washing the car, and usually will throw in some bill paying and calling to make appointments for this or that. Then when I get home, I am making dinner, helping with homework, doing some chores, catching up on e-mail, etc. There are times when I've burned dinner or lost my train of thought, forgetting why I even walked into a room.
Chewing nicotine gum while while rubbing one out is all I can handle.
I think my multitasking is due to a short attention span. I tend to start a project, not finish it, start another and end up working on both and so on. I wouldn't say I feel societal pressure. Then again, right now I am doing homework, this, and laundry, just gave the cat some water too. Hmmm....I did those things because I can though, not because of pressure. I think....geez, this is harder than my homework.
Too busy multitasking so can't give you the answer you need.
First, someone slapped a label on the behavior. Then, they assigned it as a primarily female trait. And finally, someone decided to glorify it, and render it worthy of respect. Sigh.



Multitasking is not a revered technique. The truth is, many women are TERRIBLE at it! As far as I'm concerned, it demonstrates a lack of organizational and time management skills.
Most days I feel like that woman! :-) I think society has so many demands to keep life going forward successfully that multitasking is the only way to keep up. I am currently working a government job fulltime, raising a child by myself, and working on my PhD. My life is planned out down to the last minute of the day with organization and what not until the point I have self-induced OCD! I



I agree that somewhere along the way I will pass out or have a full blown stroke. More apt I am going to put my eye out driving down the work while dropping my son off to school, the bills in the mail, putting my contacts in, talking on the phone, and giving an order for whatever I need to the drive through lady. :-)