Boost Productivity: Debunking The Multitasking Misconception

Nobody only has one thing to do in a day. How to get more than one thing done in a day differs from person to person.

Are You in the Multitasker Club?

It is unimaginable that any paying job would have more than one duty to complete in a day. Work correspondence has to be addressed. Scheduled meetings require attendance. Phone calls may need to be made. Tasks get checked off the list as new ones are added. It may feel like doing many things at the same time will get everything done in less time.

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Postpone that flight of fancy. Press the pause button on the progress. It could be the best way to get all the things done is to complete each item on the list separately. Multi-tasking looks like the best way to squeeze as much work as possible into the same amount of time, but that logic is flawed.

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Multi-tasking only works when trying to complete 2 functions, one is completely automated. Think folding laundry while watching TV, talking on the phone while washing dishes, or reading while exercising on a treadmill.

Multitasking Presents Problems

True multitasking is done by only about 2.5% of people. What people consider multitasking is merely moving focus rapidly from one task to another. When a person attends a meeting and tries to answer emails at the same time, the brain is not attributing equal parts to both tasks at once.

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Trying to complete more than one task at a time leads to distraction and errors. This increases stress levels. Blood pressure and heart rate rise. There is even a correlation between multitasking and depression and anxiety.

Transition to Single Tasking for Better Performance

Changing habits from the multitasking mindset to single-tasking is not easy, but it is doable. The flawed multitasking habit took effort and time. Be patient with switching the brain back and start small.

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Set goals to work on one task at a time for 20 minutes before changing to another. Email alerts can be turned off while another project can get complete attention, even having pre-set times for when to check email. Only have one screen open at a time to reduce losing focus on the task at hand. Choose between a laptop, phone, tablet, or television. Never the screens shall meet.

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Ultimate multitaskers listen, ignore, and forget all at the same time.