Multitasking Myth
You can easily imagine the scene:
Typical work day. In a meeting, on a call, checking e-mails, answering pings, scrolling Insta, chatting over text, making dinner plans, taking care of that appointment you’ve put off...
So many things we do in a day, but not just in a day, even in a single moment.
You know this… we have an always-on culture where multi-tasking is the norm. It’s so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of doing all the things and all at once.
Well first of all, true multitasking is a myth… what we’re really doing is switch tasking, but that’s for another post.
A well known Harvard study revealed that we are off task 47% of the time!!
Multitasking is a perfect self-inflicted delusion that we all live in. And it’s actually a huge energy and productivity gremlin.
It takes your brain a significant amount of time to get back in the zone of the thing you were doing when you get pulled away, trying to seemingly do two things at once.
If you’re ready to steal some of your productivity back:
Do the thing you’re doing. If you get distracted, use the Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer, hide your phone, close your email and pings, and just do the thing until your timer goes off. Watch your productivity take off.
Consciously shift your focus. If you do get pulled away, consciously put the thing you’re doing on hold and fully shift your attention to the thing that is now taking precedence. This will conserve your brain’s energy and you’ll get more done, while being more respectful to the people around you.
Just notice… set an intention today to notice when you’re trying to do multiple things at once. How does it feel? Are you actually being productive or spending more time in the “switch” zone?
Applying some simple mindfulness around your multitasking habits can do wonders. I’m going to bet you’ll slow down the mental (and physical) ping-ponging, find more presence and flow, and actually get more shit done.
And if you want to make sure you're spending your energy on the right things at the right time based on your unique circumstance, passions, and goals, let's chat. That's exactly what I'm here to help you with.
Cheers,
Elizabeth