Multi-tasking

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for me multi-tasking equals instant meltdown. It is the source of most of my employment problems, my inability to multi-task is perceived, by NT women (such as my supervisor/job coach) especially, as laziness. Being called "lazy" all my life is probably the cause of my depression and has made me extremely paranoid and quick to assume people are implying I'm lazy when they are not.

after a fashion. Time-division multitasking, like computers...my priorities shift constantly, so it's sort of a survival skill. Could be better at it, but I get by...

I can't multitask at all. I just can’t deal with it emotionally. I need to focus my energy on one thing at a time in order to feel satisfied about my work.

Having more than one major project at once is absolute hell. I know if I get too deeply involved in one project I won’t be able to stop and start working on the other. The end result? You guessed it. I can’t get into either one. If I’m forced to multitask I get next to nothing done and feel completely depressed and unmotivated the entire time. Yet if I’m allowed to work on one project at a time I can get twice as much done as the average person.

I hate people who insist dogmatically on multitasking when it just doesn’t work for me. It seriously pisses me off. What’s the point in fitting a square peg into a round hole? Why the hell can’t I just do what I’m good at? I’m an extremely dedicated worker when I’m allowed to focus on one project that interests me.

Is multi-tasking the opposite of being able to focus??

I'm NT and I can multi-task. The more the better.

BUT, if you give me just one task to focus on, well I lose concentration or get bored. (I'm not ADHD)

Watching my Aspie sons' intense focus is fascinating to me because I'm lousy at it.

Example. At work my fellow multi-tasking nurse colleage and I called in the computer expert guy to give us some help with the computer.

After about 5 minutes of him explaining (eg being forced to only do 1 thing at a time) I was exhausted! After 10 minutes I needed a cup of coffee.

Going through my brain was, "This is an emergency! I need an Aspie now!"

So I believe multi-tasking can be a strength.

But I belive the ability to focus is another strength that is overlooked.

Helen

No - I either end up not doing either thing properly, or focussing on one and ignoring the other(s).

It really annoys me when people say "But you're a woman - I thought women were good at multi-tasking!"

I can't multi task. I can only do one thing really at a time or I can do both but just zone one out more.

I can't multitask at all. I am always purposely half concentrating on at most two things, such as (right now) thinking of music and posting. If I go to make a sandwich, it might be more difficult, but I can manage it. If I add a third activity, I'll be absolutely screwed, and will probably have to subtract one for good balance.

I used to drive and then I had to stop for my safety as everyone knew I would drive into a tree.

I always told everyone I was a really bad driver and no one ever believed me but I recently confided in my parents that I used to end up driving to college at over 90 miles an hour They are really really getting on my nerves because they keep saying it was just my state of mind but it really wasn't.
I forever had/have trouble judging distances/gaps etc and then my parents say 'oh everyone does'
The only way I was able to cope with the doing everything was doing it like a remote control car but I hardly ever remembered to look at the speed thing and when I did it was way too fast but I was trying to do the road thing and the peddle and gearstick thing...it was hard.