multitasking or just taxing?

I am, if i may brag, the queen of multitasking. I read while watching TV. I brush my teeth and do my morning stretches. I memorize monologues while running. I do my mouthwash swishing and pack my lunch at the same time.

But does all of this multitasking add up to too much? Does the act of multitasking take more out of you than if you did each task individually? How much brain power does it take to find and execute the most effective use of your time?

The bigger question: is this really the best for our body and soul? We are in the days of constant stimulation (TV, ipods, PDAs, email, computers, advertisements, ect). How often to we just sit. What are the thoughts that are racing through our mind when we are just sitting? Worry about something coming up? Making a list of what you have to do when you start doing stuff again? Even when we relax, we still multitasking.

The closest thing we have to doing only one thing at one time is when we are sleeping. That is why having sleep - the correct kind and length is so important. It is this only way to truly refresh. It is the only way to build the strength t0 multitask our way through each day.