Lately I’ve been feeling very overwhelmed with my life and the numerous commitments I have a part in. This often results with me trying to do too many things at once: the inevitable multitasking. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with multitasking some of the time, but when it gets too much and I’m taking care of very important work while doing other things, I try to take a step back and stop. Here’s why you should maybe try it:
- Multitasking results in an increase of mistakes
Most people, when trying to concentrate on two or more activities at the same time, end up doing them both at a standard that’s poorer than they would have otherwise. Especially when you’re working on something that requires intensive thinking, it becomes easier to make mistakes. Instead of doing one thing well, you end up doing two or more things poorly.
- It prevents you from being in the moment
When you’re trying to focus on a number of things, it becomes almost impossible to treat each one with the importance it deserves. Studies have also shown people retain information worse when they don’t give it their full attention.
- It can be dangerous
Let’s face it, we’ve all been behind the wheel when we notice our phone light up and we reach to pick it up. But in the back of our head there’s always that voice that’s telling us this isn’t a good idea. Some types of multitasking put us as risk.
- It stresses you out
When multitasking, you feel as though you’re getting things done whereas you’re actually taking twice as long to complete things. Slower progression can make you feel as though you’re not getting anywhere, resulting in extra stress.
I can’t promise that I’ll never multitask again. However, I’m definitely trying to be more present and work on focusing on what’s going on around me instead of trying to do dozens of things at once. I’m hoping it’ll help me with productivity and quality!