If you are working on two things at once, you have to get the first thing out of your memory before you work on the next one. So you're switching in and out.

When you're multitasking, you get the appearance that you are working on several things at once, but if you stop and finish one thing, and then the other, you'll get them done faster.

Certain tasks become automatic and don't require your attention, like walking or driving, so that you can easily carry on a complicated conversation while driving. But you probably wouldn't be able to do this if you just learned how to drive.