I Tried It: Not Multitasking

I’m sure most multi-taskers think multitasking is healthy and efficient because we get work done faster than usual. But is it really the way to go?

Barbara Rowley of Natural Solutions says that multitasking “pushes the brain to work in ways that end up making it slower and more error prone than good, old-fashioned focusing.” When I read this, I thought, my poor brain! I also looked back and compared my work output during a multitasking spree, as opposed to the results generated through sheer concentration. Research was right: my best projects were done when I had nothing else to think about but that project.

I know it’s easier said than done, but it can be done. I worked in a corporate setting for four years and straight out of college, so the idea of doing one thing at a time, let alone having a real break, was nowhere in my lifestyle vocabulary. But one day, I found myself hyperventilating during a party my friends threw for me and I had to leave to get some air. Why was I hyperventilating? I couldn’t help but look through the To Do List in my cellphone–yes, on a Friday night–thinking about how I can possibly do at least half of these things over the weekend. I didn’t realize that, by doing so, I was entertaining more work to be done on Monday. I realized I needed a lifestyle shift.

To kick the multitasking habit once and for all you have to get into small but very useful and effective lifestyle changes. Start with a 7-day non-multitasking challenge.

Here are some tips:

• Out of sight, out of mind. One simple but effective way to make multitasking hard to do is to put away things that trigger the temptation. If you need your laptop to work, turn off your cellphone. If you need your cellphone to work, turn off your laptop. Easy, right? The idea is to train yourself to do one thing at a time.
• Ration your tasks. When you focus on one thing, you can’t help but forget about the ticking clock. Realistically, we all have to work efficiently around a given deadline. This is usually why people take the road of multitasking, because single-pointed working can be time consuming. Set a timer. For every task, give 30 minutes to focus on that one task. I am pleasantly surprised each time, because I never thought I could accomplish so much in 30 minutes or less. Then, move on to the next task.
• Balance your thoughts. Don’t panic when you suddenly get distracted. During meditation practice, my yoga teacher would always remind us that the practice of yoga is all about balance; therefore, in meditation, we keep our eyes half open instead of the usual fully closed. When you keep your eyes half open, you are able to keep your awareness in the center, which Eastern gurus call the chakra, or the seat of consciousness. When you find yourself distracted with the thoughts of all your other tasks and to dos for the day, calm down. Take a deep breath, inhale and exhale for 30 seconds, acknowledge the fact that you have a lot to do for the day, but at the same time, you are also challenging yourself to do one thing at a time, which is the healthier path.

So if you’re a multitasking nut like I was, challenge yourself with these steps. I tried it, and I’m happier, more relaxed, and most importantly, I get the work done and I do it well.

Karla Mercado lives in New Mexico and is the author of Balancing Tenderfoot. She is passionate about human medicine, nutrition, and writing.