Women seem to have a bit of a reputation for being great multi-taskers…capable of doing two, three or four things at once. Some of us might even be quite proud of this so-called skill. We’ve all done it….reading emails whilst on the phone, simultaneously making notes for the next meeting and keeping an eye on our social media newsfeeds. However, research would suggest that the ability to multi-task is somewhat over-rated and perhaps even contributes to increased stress, less satisfaction and, not only that, less productivity. It’s probably obvious that trying to do multiple things at once results in poor prioritisation, so it actually takes longer to get those really important jobs done. But researchers from Stanford University have demonstrated that we are also more likely to make mistakes and feel more stressed or anxious throughout our day when we attempt to multi-task or let ourselves be distracted by anything and everything. Not only that, multi-tasking can restrict our creativity. There are just so many things on our mind at once that there is no room for a creative thought to exist. According to Rasmus Hougaard of the Potential Project, even if we are doing a task we may not enjoy, our sense of wellbeing will be optimised when we are in the present moment and focussed on the task at hand. This comes back to practising mindfulness. There are even apps to help you improve your mindfulness but simple things you can do include:
- taking regular breaks (even just 30 seconds to a couple of minutes) every hour. Use this time to focus on your breath. You can sit at your desk, in your car, or wherever you happen to be and focus on taking some slow breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Really listen to the air and feel the rise and fall of your chest. Be present in the moment.
- extend the breathing to a mini-meditation. Research has demonstrated that even 5-10 minutes of meditation helps improve mood, concentration and feelings of wellbeing.
What else can you do to reduce your tendency to multi-task? I’m sure you’ve read some of these before:
- block your time for different jobs
- turn off all notifications
- check emails only once or twice a day (and set up auto-replies to indicate this)
- set yourself a time limit for a task (followed by a breathing break)
- make the intention to do one thing at a time
- practise mindfulness…when you realise you have been drawn to something else, acknowledge that without guilt and get back to the task at hand.
So go on…try it for a day. See how you feel at the end of the day. You might be surprised at how much you have achieved and with less feelings of stress and overwhelm.
