Life Slicing: Why Doing Too Much Could Be Hurting Your Results

It can be tempting to juggle multiple roles and tasks at once, thinking we can do it all—be the productive worker, attentive parent, social butterfly, and side-hustle entrepreneur, all in one day. This phenomenon is called "life slicing"—dividing our energy and focus into so many slices that each slice ends up smaller, leaving us feeling worn out and accomplishing less than we expected.

But what’s really happening when we try to manage everything at once? Is there any harm in wearing multiple hats throughout the day? As it turns out, yes—there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that life slicing may be doing more harm than good. Let’s explore the science behind why trying to do it all might be holding you back.

The Cognitive Overload of Life Slicing

One of the biggest challenges with life slicing is cognitive overload, a term used to describe the mental strain caused by juggling too much information at once. Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) explains that our working memory can only process a limited amount of information at any given time. When we try to divide our focus across too many tasks—whether it's managing work emails, attending to family needs, or maintaining a social media presence—we increase cognitive load.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that when people attempt to perform multiple tasks, they experience a higher cognitive load, which impairs their ability to retain information and solve problems effectively (Paas & van Merriënboer, 1994). Life slicing exacerbates this by constantly switching mental gears, leaving us more prone to errors, misjudgments, and a general sense of overwhelm.

The Myth of Multitasking

Many people believe multitasking is a skill that can help them get more done. In reality, multitasking is largely a myth. In a seminal study conducted by researchers at Stanford University, it was found that heavy multitaskers were not only less productive but also less able to filter out irrelevant information, resulting in poorer task performance (Ophir et al., 2009).

This has direct implications for life slicing. When we switch from role to role, task to task, we don’t just lose focus—we also waste time. The Stanford study showed that multitaskers took longer to complete tasks and performed worse on cognitive tests compared to those who focused on one task at a time. Instead of increasing our efficiency, life slicing fractures our attention, leading to longer work times and lower quality output.

Attention Residue: The Hidden Distraction

Beyond cognitive load, there’s another cognitive phenomenon that further erodes our productivity: attention residue. First coined by Sophie Leroy in 2009, attention residue occurs when part of your mind stays stuck on a previous task, even after you’ve switched to a new one. For example, if you’re thinking about a work project while trying to focus on a family activity, your attention remains divided.

In Leroy’s research, it was found that people were less effective at performing new tasks when they were still mentally processing a previous task. Life slicing causes frequent task-switching, which leads to lingering attention residue that saps our ability to fully engage with the new task at hand. This phenomenon not only reduces productivity but also creates a sense of constant mental clutter.

Decision Fatigue: The Toll of Too Many Choices

Life slicing also forces us to constantly make decisions about where to direct our time and energy. Every moment we switch roles—whether it’s deciding between replying to an email, attending a meeting, or helping a child with homework—we expend mental energy.

This constant switching leads to decision fatigue, a phenomenon where the quality of decisions declines after an extended period of decision-making. Research from Roy F. Baumeister, published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2000), found that decision fatigue makes people more likely to make impulsive choices or avoid making decisions altogether. Life slicing creates a mental environment ripe for decision fatigue, leaving us more vulnerable to making poor choices or procrastinating on tasks that require deep thinking.

The Impact on Mental Health: Stress and Burnout

The mental load of life slicing doesn’t just affect productivity—it also takes a toll on our mental well-being. The American Psychological Association (APA) highlights that chronic multitasking, or switching between too many tasks, is strongly associated with increased stress levels. When you constantly feel like you’re falling short in one area of life, the resulting stress compounds over time, leading to burnout.

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees who felt pressure to constantly switch between work and home roles reported higher levels of stress and burnout. This work-life conflict is a hallmark of life slicing, where the boundaries between different life roles become blurred, making it difficult to fully recharge in any area.

Breaking Free from Life Slicing: Practical Solutions

Now that we’ve seen the downsides of life slicing, how can we break free and reclaim our focus? Here are a few science-backed strategies:

Time Blocking

Instead of jumping between tasks or roles throughout the day, try time blocking. This method, supported by studies on productivity, involves dedicating specific time blocks to one task or role without distractions. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, advocates for creating blocks of time for focused, undistracted work as a way to produce higher-quality results and avoid attention residue.

Establish Boundaries Between Roles

Research shows that creating firm boundaries between different life roles can significantly reduce stress and improve well-being (Glavin et al., 2011). For example, designate certain hours of the day strictly for work and others strictly for family or personal activities. This can help create mental separation and reduce role conflict.

Use the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method that encourages working in focused intervals (usually 25 minutes) followed by short breaks. Studies show that this method can help reduce the cognitive overload associated with life slicing by promoting deep, uninterrupted work in short, manageable bursts (Cirillo, 2006).

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques can help reduce stress and combat attention residue by training the brain to focus on the present moment. A 2016 study published in Psychological Science found that even brief mindfulness training can reduce cognitive distractions and improve focus (Zeidan et al., 2010).

Prioritize Energy Management Over Time Management

Research from the Harvard Business Review (Schwartz & McCarthy, 2007) suggests that managing your energy is more effective than managing your time. By recognizing when you have the most mental and physical energy (for example, early in the morning), you can allocate the most demanding tasks to those periods and leave less taxing activities for when your energy wanes.

Protect Your Time and Energy

Life slicing may seem like a way to get everything done, but in reality, it depletes our mental resources, reduces productivity, and increases stress. By understanding the cognitive and emotional toll of dividing our attention, we can begin to create healthier, more focused routines. Rather than slicing your life into too many pieces, consider how you can consolidate your attention, protect your mental well-being, and ultimately, achieve better results.