Everybody is used to listening to music, texting friends or colleagues, eating, doing some mechanical work all at once. As a rule, we feel more productive and proud of ourselves for that as well. However, it is not so simple.
There is a reason to believe that multitasking reduces our productivity by almost 40%. The thing is doing numerous tasks at the same time on regular basis can affect psychological, mental, and physical states. The human organism is simply not adapted to working in Julius Caesar mode.
During a research, conducted by Stanford University scientists, was established that multitasking can cause stress, lack of motivation, and mood swings. «Your brain may be in trouble,» is researchers’ message. The also proved the lack of concentration skills in people who do several things simultaneously. As a result, we get tiredness and apathy.
Moreover, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) discovered that multitasking is directly related to memory operation. Constant stress and lack of focus make the human brain indiscriminately filter information and forget it pretty fast. Although it happens gradually, it is significant to start fighting against the problem before it’s too late. After a conversation, try recalling some details, numbers, or characteristics of people in a crowded room. In case of failure, don’t rush into countless memory training apps, but try to listen to your body and rationally evaluate how much you overloaded the nervous system.
By doing a lot of assignments at the same time, you significantly degrade the quality of work and increase the number of errors. The brain cannot work on all fronts equally perfect. Defocusing attention forces us to perform tasks on the principle of: «Good enough.» Do you really want to be a mediocre worker?
Obviously, modern life does not allow us to function without multitasking sometimes. Yet, it is important to fight against its overabundance. There are a couple of simple, but effective tips:
- Do no more than two tasks at a time;
- Use the rule of 20 minutes: do not switch the task if you have been doing it for less than 20 minutes;
- Do not hesitate to ask friends and colleagues to wait if you are busy. Just point out the problem in time and rationalize your arguments;
- Do not use social media during work – it adds an extra load on the brain. In case it is complicated for you, use blocking apps;
-
Do not try to do everything at once
By author Anna Dodonova
