The Cost of Constant Multitasking on Your Nervous System

Multitasking and the nervous system are more connected than we realise, especially for women who are constantly on the go.

There was a time I prided myself on how much I could juggle.

Deadlines, meetings, errands, laundry, lunchboxes, unread messages. I spent years in advertising and marketing, where multitasking felt like a badge of honour. Then I had children, and the multitasking didn’t stop there, it just shifted into another form. Constant tabs open, both mentally and emotionally.

I know I’m not the only one.

For many women, multitasking isn’t a choice. It’s a survival strategy. But over time, it comes at a cost, especially to the nervous system.

Multitasking is the act of handling multiple tasks simultaneously or switching rapidly between them. But here’s what most people don’t realise: the brain doesn’t actually multitask. It toggles back and forth, burning energy each time it switches focus.

It may feel productive, but it’s neurologically exhausting.

When this becomes your default way of living, your nervous system never gets a break. And eventually, it begins to show.

Your nervous system is your body’s internal regulation system. It constantly scans your environment and your inner world to answer one key question: Am I safe or not?

It operates through two main branches:

• Sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze): activated during stress or threat.
  
• Parasympathetic (rest, digest, heal): activated during safety and calm.
  

When you multitask constantly, your system reads it as stress. You’re essentially keeping your body in a low-grade state of threat all day long, even if you feel “fine.”

You might notice:

• Racing thoughts, even at bedtime
• Difficulty being fully present with people or tasks
• A short fuse or sudden emotional outbursts
• Feeling scattered, anxious, or foggy
• Trouble completing things without distraction
• Exhaustion that rest doesn’t seem to fix.

This is your nervous system’s way of asking for regulation.

Chronic multitasking contributes to:

• Nervous system dysregulation
• Burnout and fatigue
• Hormonal imbalances
• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Disconnection from your body and intuition
• Difficulty experiencing joy or peace.

Over time, this affects not just your productivity but your relationships, your sleep, your creativity, and your sense of self.

You don’t need to overhaul your life. These small shifts help your body feel safe again and give your nervous system the message that it’s okay to slow down.

Multitasking isn’t a superpower, it’s a nervous system stressor. Switching between tasks creates cognitive overload and increases the production of stress hormones like cortisol.

Why this works:
Single-tasking tells your system that you’re safe enough to slow down. It brings you back to presence, where regulation begins.

Try this:
Pick one task. just one. Maybe it’s answering an email, folding laundry, or sipping your tea.
Let yourself be fully with it.
Notice the urge to jump to the next thing.
Instead of following it, take a breath and stay.

You’re not just completing the task, you’re re-patterning your nervous system.

This powerful breathing technique is backed by neuroscience. It’s how your body naturally calms down after a stress response (and how we unconsciously sigh when we’re overwhelmed).

Why this works:
The double inhale followed by a long exhale releases carbon dioxide, lowers heart rate, and signals safety to your brain.

Try this:

• Inhale once through your nose
• Take a second, smaller inhale on top
• Exhale slowly through your mouth
• Repeat 3 to 5 times, keeping your shoulders relaxed.

Do this whenever your mind is racing or you feel overstimulated. It’s a nervous system whisper that says, “You’re okay now.”

This sensory grounding technique helps interrupt spiralling thoughts and brings you directly into the here and now.

Why this works:
Your nervous system responds to real-time input. When you orient through your senses, you shift attention from imagined threats to lived experience. This anchors you back into presence.

Try this:
Pause and slowly name:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste or feel inside your body.

Let it be simple. Even noticing the texture of your clothing or the sound of a bird can bring you back into your body.

We often try to think our way out of stress, but the nervous system speaks through the body. Conscious movement paired with slow breath helps complete stress cycles and releases trapped energy.

Why this works:
When you move and breathe intentionally, you give your body a pathway to let go of survival energy like restlessness, frustration, or overwhelm.

Try this:
Stand up.
Start by gently swaying from side to side.
Let your arms hang and swing a little.
Breathe in for 4, out for 6 as you move.
Put on music if it helps.
This doesn’t have to be a form of exercise, it’s an invitation to return to rhythm.

In a multitasking life, stillness can feel unfamiliar and sometimes even unsafe. But your nervous system needs these moments of nothingness to downshift out of hyperactivity.

Why this works:
Brief pauses throughout your day give your system permission to stop bracing and start repairing. Stillness tells the body it’s safe enough to rest.

Try this:
Sit or stand still for 30–60 seconds.
Place one hand on your heart or belly.
Notice your breath without changing it.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Let everything soften – shoulders, jaw, thoughts.

This is a nervous system reset. No apps, no pressure. Just presence.

When your nervous system is calm and regulated, everything shifts:

• You feel more grounded and clear
• You respond instead of react
• You sleep deeper
• You connect more fully with others and with yourself
• Your energy flows more freely
• You return to your natural rhythm.

Healing your nervous system isn’t about doing more. It’s about creating space for your body to remember what safety feels like.

If you recognise yourself in these patterns, you’re not alone. I’ve lived it too.

These days, my work focuses on helping other women regulate their nervous systems, combining breathwork, movement, energy healing, and nervous system education in a way that’s practical and deeply nourishing. I offer 1:1 sessions that gently guide you from chronic overdrive into a place of calm, clarity, and connection, where multitasking isn’t running the show.

Because you deserve more than just keeping up. You deserve to feel whole.

• Belief Breakthrough – Release the old patterns your body still holds, so your mind and heart can move forward freely.
• Reiki Energy Healing – Receive calming energy that clears blockages and restores flow, whether in person or from anywhere in the world.
• Mind Body Spirit – Explore practices and insights that reconnect your mind, body, and spirit so you can move through life feeling whole, grounded, and aligned.

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