It’s so tempting, but it can wreak havoc on your productivity. Here’s how to find your focus instead.

We’ve all heard that multitasking is bad and switching between activities makes it harder to complete them. But let’s be honest—many of us multitask during Zoom meetings, especially as we enter the 10th month of working remotely and our Zoom fatigue has worsened. But checking email or making a grocery list can have a negative ripple effect you may not realize, says Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done.

“Switching between tasks can have four effects,” he says. “Things take longer. You are prone to making more mistakes. It increases stress levels. And you can damage relationships.”

When you don’t pay attention, you miss important information, and when you miss important information, you need to take the time to either ask the presenter to go back or follow up after the call. “Either way, you’re wasting both your time and everyone else’s,” Crenshaw says.

To reduce Zoom multitasking, organizers and attendees need to make some changes. Read more on FastCompany