In today’s society, there is an illusion that in order to be successful in life you have to be a “master multitasker”.  However, research reveals that this is actually setting you up for increased stress levels and anxiety along with reduced productivity and feelings of accomplishment plus work-related dissatisfaction.

The art of juggling multiple tasks simultaneously is now perceived as an essential element of our current working environment, as technological developments have greatly facilitated the need to multi-task, plus then add to the mix the fact that the average attention span of a human is just 8 seconds. This constant bombardment of incoming notifications and interruptions, serves nothing more than to distract and demotivate and this increased media multitasking has been found to be associated with higher depression and social anxiety symptoms (Becker, Alzahabi, & Hopwood, 2013), lower academic performance in college students (Junco & Cotten, 2011), and decreased ability to effectively filter irrelevant information (Ophir, Nass, & Wagner, 2009). 

A study by Levy and colleagues (2012) examined the relationship between mindfulness and multitasking. They reported that participants who received 8-weeks of mindfulness training, switched less frequently between competing tasks, experienced fewer negative emotions, and spent more time on each individual task (without increasing total time investment) than those in the relaxation or control groups. The meditation and relaxation group also exhibited improved memory for the details of the work they performed.  So essentially, these findings support the idea that mindfulness practice enhances skills that can counteract the negative consequences of multitasking.

“The quickest way to do many things is to do one thing at a time.” – Christopher Westra

Mindfulness has sometimes been referred to as “single-tasking” and can be considered the antithesis of multitasking. Many mindfulness practices require the participant to use a single focus and thereby promote single-focused attention.  I am first to admit that I used to have in excess of 30 tabs open in my internet browser at any one time! My work colleagues don’t know how I operated like that and is a classic example of multitasking mayhem.  Through my application of mindfulness attention to single-tasking, I have been able to reduce it and gain renewed focus on the task at hand as I now understand that to achieve and maintain high productivity levels, our brains function optimally when we apply single-focused tasking.  

My “ah-hah” moment was when I discovered a simple but super-relevant mindfulness exercise tool created by Lucinda Poole (PsyD) and Hugo Alberts (PhD) and in this exercise, you are going to see how good you are at multi-tasking.

To start, say the complete alphabet (A- to Z) silently to yourself as quickly as you can.  Next, count from 1 to 26 silently to yourself, as quickly as you can. 

Now, you must combine these two tasks together by saying the letter A and then the number 1, and then B and 2, C – 3, and so on all the way up to number Z-26. Do this as quickly as you can!

Upon completing this exercise and reflecting on the results what did you find? It was certainly obvious to myself that even just combining 2 tasks resulted in more energy being used, slowing of completion, brain fuzz and general time wasted!  Imagine trying to combine 3, 4, or more tasks at any one time.  Answering the phone and typing an email while checking your social media etc is not an effective method of GETTING THINGS DONE.  

Here are 6 practical tips you can start implementing today to improve your single-task effectiveness:

• Only have one browser tab open at once (or set of tabs, if they’re related to one task).
• Focus on what you want to get done—if you’re not sure, it’s easier to get distracted.
• If you start reading an article, read it to completion or save it for later in an app like Instapaper—don’t leave it open all day in your browser.
• Use one app at a time on your phone, rather than switching quickly between several.
• When you’re interrupted or you switch tasks, take notice of what you’re doing so you’re aware of your behavior.
• Have more digital-free time. This last rule is an important one. If email, social media, and internal chat are your main distractions, spending more time completely away from your phone or computer can help your brain get used to longer periods of time without those distractions.

Finally, single-tasking can be practiced on things like having dinner or spending time with your family just as much as on work tasks and you will find relationships blossom when undivided attention and communication is cultivated. Leaving your computer turned off and your phone in another room can help you enforce single-tasking more easily by making those common distractions unavailable. I know my children certainly appreciate when ALL when attention is one them and I am in the present moment.

Comments

comments