Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
- Blending work with Netflix (or any other similar activity) could be dulling your pleasure and draining your focus.
- The brain’s reward system struggles when you multitask, making each task less enjoyable.
- Single-tasking can boost both productivity and relaxation.
Multitasking feels like the only way to survive nowadays.
You might find yourself typing emails while a Netflix series plays in the background, or maybe you’re half-watching a movie while drafting a work proposal.
It seems harmless, maybe even productive.
You’re getting work done and catching up on entertainment.
Right?
But what if this habit is draining both your productivity and your capacity for pleasure?
On a deeper psychological level, this blending of activities affects how our brains process pleasure and focus.
Over time, it can diminish your sense of fulfillment and alter how you experience both work and leisure in daily life.
The Brain’s Struggle for Focus Is Real
Our brains aren’t designed to multitask.
It’s nearly impossible.
Only 2.5% of the population is found to “truly” multitask effectively; it can actually reduce our productivity by 80%, according to psychologist Gerald Weinberg.
What we call “multitasking” is really just rapid task-switching, where the brain jumps back and forth between activities. Neuroscience research shows that this constant switching drains cognitive resources and leads to mental fatigue.
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Trying to work and watch Netflix simultaneously is a perfect example of this.
When you do this, neither activity gets your full attention, leaving you half-engaged in both. You might feel like you’re being productive while also enjoying your show, but in reality, you’re missing out on the satisfaction from both.
Over time, this leads to a decrease in productivity and enjoyment.
Diminishing Returns and Hedonic Adaptation: The More You Mix, the Less You Enjoy
Have you ever noticed that watching Netflix while working doesn’t feel as satisfying?
This is due to what’s called the Law of Diminishing Returns — the idea that the value or enjoyment you get from something starts to decrease after a certain point. When your attention is divided, the pleasure you derive from both work and leisure activities is dulled.
When your attention is divided, the pleasure you derive from both work and leisure activities is dulled.
Additionally, this ties into hedonic adaptation, which explains how we quickly adapt to pleasure, making it wear off over time.
Initially, multitasking with Netflix and work might feel rewarding — you’re catching up on a show while checking tasks off your to-do list. But soon, your brain adapts, and the novelty fades. You no longer fully enjoy Netflix, and work feels even more draining.
For instance, imagine eating your favorite dessert while trying to finish a work report.
The sweetness of the desert, which would usually bring you joy, is dulled because your brain is distracted by the stress of work. Over time, you might even start associating that dessert with stress rather than comfort.
The same thing happens when you mix Netflix and work — both become less enjoyable.
The Trap of Instant Gratification
Netflix is designed to hook your brain with constant dopamine hits — cliffhangers, plot twists, visual stimuli.
Work, on the other hand, typically offers delayed gratification.
When you mix the two, you create a dangerous imbalance. Your brain starts craving the quick rewards of Netflix even when you need to focus on work.
This is known as dopamine dysregulation, where your brain becomes wired to seek out fast gratification instead of focusing on long-term tasks.
Over time, this reduces your ability to handle sustained effort, leading to procrastination, stress, and burnout.
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The Flow State: Why Single-Tasking is the Key to Fulfillment
There’s another psychological concept at play here — flow, a state of deep focus and immersion in a task that leads to higher productivity and satisfaction.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi identified flow as the optimal state for human functioning. When you’re in flow, your brain is fully absorbed in the task at hand, whether it’s work or watching Netflix.
When you multitask, you block your brain from entering this state of flow.
Constant distractions prevent you from experiencing true immersion, which reduces both productivity and the pleasure of leisure activities. To get the most out of your work and your downtime, you need to focus on one thing at a time.
Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness and Productivity
So, what’s the solution?
The first step is to create clear boundaries between work and leisure.
When it’s time to work, close Netflix and focus fully on your tasks. When it’s time to relax, give yourself permission to disconnect from work completely.
By separating these activities, you allow your brain to experience each one fully, whether it’s productivity during work or pleasure during downtime.
Practicing mindfulness — being fully present in whatever you’re doing — can help rebuild your attention span and make both work and leisure more satisfying.
Breaking the Cycle: Rediscovering Joy in Both Work and Play
The key takeaway here is that your brain thrives on focus.
By ending the habit of working and watching Netflix at the same time, you give yourself the space to engage fully with each activity. This approach not only improves your productivity but also helps you regain the joy that comes from immersing yourself in a single task.
So, the next time you’re tempted to catch up on Netflix while working on your to-do list, pause. Consider how much more rewarding it would be to focus deeply on each task, one at a time.
By doing so, you can rediscover the joy in both your work and your downtime.
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