I have been a multi-tasker for the majority of my life. Always trying to do more than one, two or even three things at a time, thinking that was the most productive way of getting things done.
I remember “listening” to my child, having her follow me through the house while I took clean clothes to bedrooms, all the while thinking to myself what I should be fixing for dinner. That was my pattern. In fact, if someone wanted to talk to me I’d have them wait a moment while I went and got a task to work on at the same time. No wonder I felt harried, unproductive and unsatisfied in my relationships!
Since then I’ve learned about mindfulness, focus and honoring myself and others. (All topics for future newsletters.J )
Studies have proven that our brains have a finite amount of attention and productivity and that what we call multitasking is really task-switching. (Guy Winch, PhD, author of Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries).
“Moving back and forth between several tasks actually wastes productivity, he says, because your attention is expended on the act of switching gears—plus, you never get fully “in the zone” for either activity.”
So, what was I thinking, especially because I know better, when this morning I found myself exercising, listening to a webinar and drinking on my breakfast smoothie in between leg-lifts?
I was very aware of what I was doing and its effect. I wasn’t really applying myself to my exercise. I wasn’t really getting the concepts of what I was listening to. Nor was I enjoying my breakfast. All of these just became things to check off my list because I had told myself I had so much to do and if I combined them I would get finished faster. Right? Wrong!
Studies have shown that multi-tasking not only increases the time taken, it reduces our effectiveness, disrupts our short-term memory and creates higher heart rates and stress because the body is in high alert mode from the constant switching back and forth.
So, to counteract this tendency to multi-task, (that so many of us have), I encourage you to begin by recognizing the effect multi-tasking has on you and your loved ones. Learn about the benefits of being present. And if you take something on, don’t stop until you’ve finished it. That’s called OHIO: Only Handle It Once, (which isn’t possible when you’re multi-tasking).
Though I haven’t completely eliminated the pull to multi-task, I have made a conscious effort to be present for the person I’m with and focused on the activity at hand. As I do so, I have found my stress level has decreased. I am consistently more calm, happy and oh, so much more productive! See what happens for you!
Love,
