We live with technology all around us; phones in our pockets or purses, tablets on the nightstand, and computers at home and at work. This technology has created a sense of urgency with every beep, ring, and buzz.Β Itβs no wonder we canβt focus and complete our daily tasks.
Multi Tasking Is A Myth
Weβve all heard of multi-tasking, the idea that we can do more than one thing at the same time. The reality is that our brains canβt actually multi-task, they can only toggle, which is switching between tasks rapidly.
Itβs hard to focus when youβre constantly asking your brain to switch gears. Imagine if that happened to you at work; two people bombarding you with questions and documents, and youβre trying to help both of them as quickly as possible. Thatβs what youβre asking your brain to do on an hourly basis with the windows on the computer, or the apps on your phone, the constant checking is pulling your brain from one task and forcing it onto another.
This exercise provides a good example of what happens when you try to do two tasks at once that use the same part of your brain:
- Take a sheet of paper and draw two lines on it.
- Time yourself while you write βI am a great multitaskerβ on the first line, and then write the numbers 1β20 on the second line.
- Now draw two more lines.
- This time, time yourself doing the two tasks simultaneously. Write a letter from the sentence βI am a great multitaskerβ on line one, then write the number β1β on line two. Then write the next letter of the sentence on line one, and then β2β on line two. Continue until youβve completed both tasks.
You probably wonβt even have to finish both tasks and check your time to prove how much our work suffers from multitasking. No doubt youβll find yourself frustrated during the second part of this example and youβll notice how much slower youβre working without even looking at your timer.
This example shows what happens when we attempt to multitask. Our brain uses up time and effort each time we switch between two (or more) tasks, so we end up being much slower overall. Research has also shown that this process of constantly switching can lead to worse performance than if we allow the brain to focus on just one task at a time.
YOU ARE ON SENSORY OVERLOAD
- Whether you notice it or not, the constant dinging of devices, background noises, sirens, or chatter of co-workers create sensory overload.
- Your brain has to process and filter all this stimuli to figure out which ones to pay attention to and which ones are really in the background.
At the end of the day do you often feel stressed or burned out, on top of out of focus?
Thatβs because of the daily multi-tasking and sensory overload. Our brains can only handle so much, and the more we throw at it, the more our stress hormones increase.
Itβs gotten so bad that itβs hard for anyone to do just one task. When we try to focus on one thing, like just walking down the hall, our brain struggles looking for that adrenaline we get every time we check our phones.
WE ARE ADDICTED TO MULTIPLEΒ IMPULSE
Weβve become addicted to multiple stimuli at one time, making it impossible to focus on just one thing. The only way to get away from this cycle is to remember that you have a choice.
You donβt have to answer every email or phone call as soon as it comes in. By prioritizing your tasks and taking frequent breaks you will avoid losing focus and feeling stressed. The most successful people know how to balance all this input and remember that not everything is as urgent as it may seem.
Adios Amigos Xoxo
I totally believe this! It is incredibly difficult to work on multiple projects at once without planning ahead.
BiancaBlogs.com
Yes. Planning is key! Xoxo
I agree, prioritizing your tasks and taking frequent breaks are very important. I try to limit multitasking on projects.
Well done! That’s how you get things done on time. Xoxo
I was just talking to a friend about this, because I am the worlds worst multitasker! lol #mombrain
Yes! That mom brain has too much going on as it is, it’s even worse trying to do everything at once! Xoxo
I love this! I’ve always been told that women are good at multitasking, but it’s exactly like you say in your first sentence: we are only good at rapidly switching between them. I HATE multitasking π (excuse the strong word). But it’s done nothing for my brand, other than slowing me down, leaving me behind with a pile of unfinished projects. My to-do list keeps getting longer and longer whilst I am adding new things. It’s rickyricardo. So now, I’ve actually declared war to multi-tasking, by focusing on ONE task only and I LOVE it. My friend, Emily gave me the tip to divide my work load into a priority list and a brain dumb list. I’ve not looked back. In fact, you’ve inspired me to write a blog post about it so watch my blog π Thanks, Kris
Ooh, that is so great! You’ve described it perfectly. I HATE it. Hardly anything ever gets done. I look forward to reading your blog post! π ~Xoxo