The stress of constant, adrenaline-fueled multitasking is damaging brain cells.  We were hoping that the prescription of using mind-games, puzzles, and other cognitive-enhancing products would be a solution for reviving the damaged cells, but it turns out that this is not the answer.

True, the exercises did improve short-term memory and problem-solving, but only for the tests involved.  They did not improve “mental fitness.”

The study, published online on 4/20/2010 by the journal Nature, tracked 11,430 participants through a six-week online study.  These were healthy participants, and this was not a test about warding off dementia.

Two areas of the brain are most damaged by the stresses of multitasking:

• Prefrontal cortex.  That area of the brain controls your executive function (planning, analyzing, prioritizing) and marks the spot to return when you are interrupted. 
• Hippocampus.  This is where new learning takes place.   

The fact that damages are not reversible means you have to stop the multitasking stresses right now.  There is not a fix you can take a few years from now.

One key to brain health also being explored right now is exercise.  In 2009 the Association for Psychological Science found that studies pointed to the overwhelming value of physical activity for maintaining brain function, including executive function, short-term memory, and attention span.

You may not be able to reverse damages, but this is a good to develop new habits so that more harm is not done in the future.

For more statistics on multitasking, visit our page of time management statistics.