Multitasking is a way of doing two or more tasks simultaneously or alternately, with the thought of being more punctual. This habit seems to be a quick way to complete several things at once.
However, several studies have proven that humans are not that good at doing several jobs at once. Scientists have even concluded that carrying out several tasks simultaneously can actually reduce productivity by as much as 40 percent.
What’s that multitasking?
Appearing busy at work and doing several things at once makes someone considered productive. In fact, the term that more accurately describes this condition is multitasking.
Multitasking is doing two or more tasks simultaneously, switching from one thing to another, or doing a number of tasks in sequence.
Examples of multitasking are:
- Start two or more tasks simultaneously
- Listen to the radio while driving to work
- Talking on the phone while doing assignments
- Watching television while responding to work emails
- Playing social media while in a meeting
- Listening to someone talk while writing a to-do list
Even though you appear to be working hard and active, in fact working in this way has actually been proven to reduce productivity levels.
Impact multitasking
Things that might be taken into consideration when you want to do it multitasking is:
1. Work takes longer to complete
Trust me, multitasking it actually makes your work take longer to complete.
For example, when driving, research from University of Utah proves that drivers actually take longer to reach their destination when they drive while chatting on a cell phone.
2. It’s stressful
Other research from University of California Irvine measures the heart rate of a group of employees who are constantly accessing email office and what not. The results were quite surprising.
It was found that office workers always accessed it email The office was apparently always in a state of alertness and had a higher heart rate. Meanwhile, the group that did not access email do less multitasking and have lower stress levels.
Other research also stated that multitasking Doing it continuously can cause depression or anxiety disorders. Besides that, multitasking in the long term it can cause chronic stress
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3. Impairs memory
When doing two different things at the same time, you will usually forget the details of one or even both activities. Call it reading a book while watching television. There’s bound to be one part you’ll forget.
According to a research, interrupting one task to focus on another task can disrupt short-term memory. Therefore, be careful when doing it multitasking. The reason is, get used to it multitasking is one of the things that makes you not realize you are doing various tasks simultaneously.
4. Makes creativity decrease
Ability multitasking it will actually make the brain work harder. Even though the brain’s capacity is very large, doing different jobs at one time will also burden it.
This will also reduce your creativity. It could be that the results of the work carried out are not satisfactory.
5. Reduce focus
Risk multitasking or divided thoughts are divided focus. It’s even worse if you need high focus in doing your work. Call it driving a motor vehicle.
Making a phone call while driving increases the risk of an accident. The reason is, these two things must be done with high focus. Shifting focus on one of them will potentially lead to errors.
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How to eliminate the habit of multitasking in everyday life
If you feel that your multitasking ability has a negative impact on your life and work, it’s a good idea to start looking for ways to get rid of that habit. Here are several ways you can eliminate the habit of multitasking in your daily life:
1. Limit the amount of work done at any given time
Complete one task at a time. If you really need to do many things at once, try combining one job with another job that has a different level of focus. For example, watering plants while making a phone call.
2. Apply the 20 minute rule
Instead of constantly switching from one job to another at the same time without stopping, it’s a good idea to implement a 20 minute rule system. This means that you can set aside 20 minutes to focus on doing each job before moving on to other tasks.
3. Group tasks and prioritize them
Grouping tasks can help eliminate the habit of multitasking at work. You can adjust it in order of priority.
For example, if sending emails and making meeting results is more basic work and requires a lot of time, you can schedule the work on the same day at a specified time.
By grouping similar tasks and setting a time to handle them, you can focus more on doing something.
4. Avoid distracting things
To be more focused, you can look for a place to work or an atmosphere that is calmer and with minimal distractions, look for a more strategic place, turn off the phone, and turn off notifications and alarms.
5. Practice responsibility
Practicing responsibility at work can prevent you from getting burnt out when doing many tasks at one time. Mindfulness It can also improve the ability to focus and pay attention to one thing at a time.
Notes from TipsForWomens
Instead of getting the job done quickly, multitasking it will actually make you unfocused. Another impact that can arise is damage to the brain and decreased memory. Try to focus on one job before doing anything else.
