Every mother is familiar with the concept of trying to do multiple things all at once. But, true multi-tasking is a myth. What we’re actually doing is context-switching - moving from one activity to the next and back again - and it has real costs to our mental and cognitive health.

If you’re a working mom, you’re probably no stranger to “mom guilt.” The guilty feeling of spending your time and energy at work instead of with your child. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about mom guilt. This is not an article about mom guilt.

This is an article on “co-worker guilt.” The guilty feeling that you’re letting down your co-workers, managers, or organization when you have to attend to family responsibilities.