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Deadlines: The kryptonite of all students. You are so focused on meeting them that you try to do everything at once, but little did you know, multitasking eats into the quality of your work (Remember that one time you missed out an entire paragraph in your submission?).

When you have too much on your plate, it’s easy to digress into multitasking, and ultimately, to feel doomed that you are trapped in this cycle of underperformance.

If this sounds familiar, you might find comfort in the fact that it's humanly impossible to simultaneously complete a report, set up a conference call, and Snapchat friends about how swamped you are at work.

It is in fact, more counterproductive than you think. Hopefully, these tips backed by science can really help you get your game on again — but this time, one move at a time.

Neuroscience research reveals that rather than multitasking; our brains simply switch at rapid speeds from task to task. One reason for this is that similar tasks compete to use the same region of the brain. And the problem is, with all tasks attempted, productivity will suffer as a result.

So, the next time you are on a call with your group members whilst simultaneously trying to complete another project report, take a breath and focus on one task at a time. The idea is, at the end of the day, we are all human.

I know, it sucks to be mortal. Not only do we fail at multitasking, but the very attempt to add a new activity to our command centre makes us less productive than performing tasks separately. Research shows that this process of switching from task to task comes at a price.

Do you feel like you are lost in a sea of words reading your cost-benefit analysis whilst jamming to Cardi B songs, seemingly difficult to concentrate? Well, IYKYK. Researchers suggest that even when we indulge in these seemingly innocent joys, doing so compromises your brain's potential.

The result? We believe that we're absorbing information because music prompts the release of "happy chemicals". Perhaps next time, disable Spotify when the key report is due.

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Multitasking due to distractions (yes, your smartphones are the culprits) makes you less efficient, uses more energy, and leads to more mistakes. That's why texting and driving is so dangerous, and it's why we miss those grammatical errors or miscalculations while reacting to your close friend’s Instagram stories.

In school, many of us still managed to get by with the help of angelic professors and lenient deadline penalties. But this habit, when repeated at work, could paint a more unforgiving picture in our performance reviews. More than a myth, multitasking just creates a no-win situation. You want to get that promotion, your distractions GTG.

Don't despair: there is hope. You don't need to give up your favourite distractions to find your way around this lack of time and general "busy-ness".

Try doing this: prioritise your daily tasks into three categories. The "must-do", the "should-do", and the "would-like-to-do”. Tell yourself that only when you have completed every task on your "must-do" list, can you allow "distractions" from the other categories.

And yeah, in case you wondered, Instagram, TikTok, and XiaoHongShu all come under the latter most category. Or maybe just the "after-work" group.

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But instead of reaching out for your smartphone or finding your next holiday destination, try stepping away from the desk and moving around for a few minutes. Research suggests that simply changing your physical stance or vantage point can clear your head and make a huge difference to your emotional state.