In today’s busy world, we often find ourselves doing two, three, even four things at once to try and accomplish everything. Can you identify with talking on the phone while checking your email with your lunch sitting beside the keyboard? While we face pressures to get a lot done in a short amount of time, multi-tasking may not be an efficient use of our resources.
Multi-tasking requires your brain to switch rapidly back and forth between tasks, taking time to refocus and reallocate attention at each transition. For example, if you are writing an email and talking on the phone, your brain will alternate attention between the two tasks. For two simultaneous tasks that require higher cognitive processes, multi-tasking is likely to inhibit efficiency in completing either task; the brain requires more time and energy to switch gears between complex tasks. Multi-tasking is somewhat more realistic for tasks that require less brain power, for example, brushing your teeth while looking for your deodorant.
Multi-tasking is also more complicated than doing one thing at a time and may result in stress. Studies show that high levels of stress can result in frustration, memory loss and errors. Multi-tasking taxes our cognitive functioning, which can manifest itself in emotional, psychological and physical symptoms.
It is important to note that multi-tasking is often unsafe. Modern technology has afforded us the tools to accomplish great things more quickly than previously possible, but using technology inappropriately can be extremely dangerous. News reports recount tragic accidents while drivers are texting or checking emails on their portable devices. In such a scenario, the brain focuses on driving and then shifts attention to the texting, leaving room for error on either task.
In his book, CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!, psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell sums up multi-tasking by saying, “It gives the illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking, but we’re really not. It’s like playing tennis with three balls.”
In order to increase efficiency, safety and well-being, consider the following tips that use focused ‘single-tasking’:
- Set and commit to boundaries. When interruptions occur: delay, dismiss or delegate.
- Make and review to-do lists. You will feel less pressure to multi-task if you have spent adequate time planning and prioritizing.
- Plan your day to accomplish one task at a time. For example, you might be more productive checking emails for a block of 10 minutes rather than 3 shorter blocks.
- Practice undivided attention and singular focus. Try giving telephone conversations your full attention or completing projects at one sitting.
- Know your individual patterns of productivity. You may find that you have better focus and motivation in the morning; use that time for your most complex tasks.
- Take breaks. You are more likely to manage your time well if you are refreshed. Take a minute to gather your thoughts; take a quick walk or get a fresh breath of air.
- Manage your stress. Incorporating stress management techniques into our daily lives allows for better concentration, enhanced memory, and improved problem solving skills.
Sources: Christine Rosen, The Myth of Multitasking in The New Atlantis; Edward Hallowell, CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap; David Meyer, PhD in The Journal of Experimental Psychology; LifeWork Strategies, Inc., and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals. The Health Tip of the Week is for educational purposes only. For additional information, consult your physician. Please feel free to copy and distribute this health resource.
