How not to lose efficiency in multitasking conditions

Multitasking has penetrated into our lives and has become an integral companion of our work, rest, life, entertainment. How else, when we are enveloped in an endless stream of information, surrounded by gadgets, equipment, messengers that require our momentary attention and reaction, we want to try everything and be in time.

Now Julius Caesar has nothing to be proud of, even modern children have surpassed him - we do everything at once. We ourselves have become big kids who like to start different things and quit halfway through.

We are constantly busy with something, but we just can't come to the finish line, we have dozens of started and unfinished business. Engaging in three projects at once, reading five books at the same time, cooking soup, washing dishes and vacuuming - this is our multitasking.

Source

What to do with the notorious multitasking - try to get rid of it and learn how to do everything in order, or somehow systematize it so that it does more good than harm?

The first step is to understand that our brain is not created by nature in order to focus on more than 1 task at a time.

Researchers argue that multitasking for a person does not at all mean performing several tasks at the same time, but rather quickly switching from one to another and back again . There are very few truly multitasking people.

Each distraction will reduce concentration, and take more and more energy to return to the context of the task at hand.
By constantly jumping from one unfinished task to another, you may miss important details that will subsequently affect the result.

Paying attention to non-urgent, trifling matters, you run the risk of failing deadlines where your health, career, financial condition and other important aspects are at stake.

We really love multitasking because the brain loves the feeling of being constantly busy, so we feel more fulfilled and happier.

The fact that half of the energy is spent switching from one task to another is not taken into account. Moreover , when switching between tasks, a large dose of the hormone of happiness is injected into our body . That is why we are so attracted by the flashing SMS alert or the desire to feel nostalgic over the old junk found during the cleaning.

But the problem is that at the same time, the brain "injects" cortisol, the stress hormone. And it turns out that when we multitask, we are simultaneously happy and tense.

Working in a multitasking environment can bring good results in business, management, education, tourism and other niches where you need to solve a bunch of issues as soon as they come up.

The main thing here is to learn how to use it correctly. For multitasking to be a tool and not a ballast, you need to set some important rules for yourself.

If you are not an SMM and do not work in social networks, then leave them for the evening. Do not make bookmarks on your work computer and make it a rule to simply not go there during work.

Set aside a certain amount of time to check your mail and reply to emails. If this is an integral part of the work - check it once an hour, if there is no such need - try to reduce it to 2-3 sessions a day. Don't keep your mail open all the time and remove the mail alert feature from your phone. You should control the mail, not it you.

Source

To understand what you are really doing. Otherwise, it will be wandering in a vicious circle, when you are always busy, and what - who knows.

Especially if your job is monotonous. Creative entertainment makes the mind more flexible, removes depression from us, and develops thinking. In this case, you need to "turn off" the work and not think about it at all.

Multitasking is a complex and capricious property of our psyche. It is like an unbroken horse. If we do not know how to manage it, it saddles us and exhausts us, squeezes out all the juices.

Multitasking should not be confused with disorganization. Many who consider themselves to be cool "multitaskers" simply do not know how to organize their own time. But we know that you are not like that. With this knowledge, so for sure!

---