Why Do We Multitask While Eating?
It’s no secret that many people try to multitask while eating or multitask in general. But why do we do this? And especially why do we do this when it’s now clear that what we think of as multitasking is a myth?
I started thinking about this because of a meditation app I’ve been using for the past few months called Waking Up. I still feel like I’m not the best at meditating, though maybe I’m getting better. But the app also has other great resources. These include a daily quote, a daily “moment” (a brief audio clip around a minute long to get you thinking), and reflections.
One of the recent reflections I heard was by Oliver Burkeman, author of the book Four Thousand Weeks. (I even wrote a separate blog post inspired by the book two years ago.)
In the reflection, Burkeman pointed out that this desire to get multiple things done at once is not new. Even in 1887, Friedrich Nietzsche commented: “One thinks with a watch in one’s hand, even as one eats one’s midday meal while reading the latest news of the stock market. One lives as if one might always miss out on something.”
If anything, that fear of missing out (aka FOMO) is only stronger these days, when more information and content is available to us. But still, why do we attempt multitasking?
What multitasking isn’t
First, it helps to understand why the usual idea of multitasking is a myth.
When most people think about multitasking, they seem to envision their brains as a type of computer. I say this because I work for a software company, and our software can be configured so that multiple jobs can run at the same time (assuming the hardware has enough capacity). When this happens, the computer’s resources get divvied up so each job can run independently.
But that’s not how our brains work. We can actually only focus on one thing fully at a time, and what we call multitasking is switching between two or more things. The problem is that every switch you make requires some mental energy, which means switching is harder than doing one thing at a time.
You can technically do two things at the same time if they involve different areas of the brain, like cutting vegetables while listening to a podcast. But you’re still not quite giving your full attention to either activity.
The same is true with eating. Yes, you can eat while watching something, reading, etc., but you won’t be paying very much attention to the food. That, in turn, invites overeating and not getting as much pleasure from your food as you could.
So why try to multitask?
In Burkeman’s reflection, he shared two reasons why he thinks people try to multitask, and I think he’s right:
It feels like the only way you’ll get everything done
Keeping a single focus feels boring and constraining, so in a way, it’s freeing and/or more fun to multitask
I think the first point applies especially in a work setting. I confess that I’ve worked through lunch before, when work is super hectic and I feel like I have to push through every moment if there’s any hope of meeting deadlines.
Of course, this ignores the fact that you’re not a computer, and you’ll function better if you have a break and step away from the work for a bit. Plus, working during lunch runs the risk of you spilling something on your computer, and that can slow you down a whole lot more.
This pressure to get things done, or get done more quickly, is also likely why people sometimes eat while driving. But really, it’s much safer for everyone if you take 10 minutes or so to eat without also driving a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds at potentially high speeds.
In other circumstances, the desire to escape boredom is, I think, a big factor in why people do something else while eating. A lot of people have trouble sitting with their thoughts or focusing only on food while eating. (Plus, depending on what you’re eating, dwelling too much on it may not be great. Exactly how many chemicals does it take to get that shade of orange? How many of these ingredients can you even pronounce? Why does this store-bought tomato taste like nothing much?)
The funny thing is, people sometimes eat because they’re bored, but then they do something else at the same time because even eating isn’t enough to distract from the boredom – or distract from whatever else might be going on.
Suggestions for keeping a single focus
The good news is that even if you’ve gotten in the habit of trying to multitask, you don’t have to keep doing that.
If you find that you’re trying to do multiple things at once – eat and work, have a conversation and check the news, attend a meeting and answer an email, etc. – remember that you’re not actually getting those things done well. You might nominally get them done, but you won’t be as focused on the work, you’ll lose the thread of the conversation, or someone might ask you a question in the meeting that you can’t answer because you weren’t listening. (Been there, done that.)
Hard as it may be to focus on one thing at a time, you’ll finish the task more quickly and do a better job. Keeping that in mind may help you stay focused.
As for avoiding boredom, my mindfulness app keeps reminding me that it’s possible to be absorbed by anything and everything, even your own breathing. And that’s likely true, but it doesn’t happen overnight.
So, if you eat while doing something else, I’m not going to suggest stopping cold turkey – except for maybe eating and driving.
But if you like to read, watch something, check the news, or catch up on emails while eating, try to take just the first bite and stay focused on the food. Notice the flavors, the textures, whether the food is hot or cold, even whether you like it or not. Try just one bite.
If that goes well, you could try a couple of bites that way, or every few bites. The goal is simply to be more aware of what you’re eating so you can enjoy it – or maybe realize you want something else instead. This may also help you notice when you’re not hungry anymore, which would help keep you from getting over-full.
You can shift away from multitasking
Our society seems to encourage people to multitask, as if it improves our efficiency. In reality, though, trying to multitask will just slow you down and contribute to more mistakes. This even applies to doing something else while eating, since you could make a mistake with the other activity (such as driving or your work), or you could end up eating too much and become uncomfortably full.
But you don’t have to stick with this approach. You can shift away from it by focusing on one activity at a time. This will take some practice, but even small steps in that direction will be helpful. And who knows? You may even find that you enjoy single-tasking more than you expected.
