Just Say NO to Multitasking!

Multitasking. We all do it. I bet you’re reading this right now while on the toilet aren’t you?!  Well, better than while driving... When I started at Hobson in 2006, we had a question on our reference check form that was “How would you rate this person’s ability to multi-task?” The idea was that a person needed to be efficient at multitasking in order to be successful in just about any job. However, studies have recently shown that multi-tasking is actually bad for your brain, which is also bad for business, your social life, your family, everything. 

The late Stanford University communications professor, Clifford Nass, studied multi-taskers expecting to find some type of cognitive powers of focus that the non-multi-taskers didn’t possess. Instead he found that the multitaskers “could not filter out irrelevancy. They can’t manage a working memory. They’re chronically distracted.” He goes on to say they think they are more productive, but that’s only their perception.

We multitask because we think it saves time. But have you ever been driving behind someone who was talking on their cell phone?  Do they even realize how slow they are going?!  Doing two things at once, without fully focusing on either, is causing them to slow down. 

My boss, Danny Cahill, has recommended that we recruiters work in batches. Make ten cold marketing calls. Then get up and fill up your water, go to the bathroom, etc. Then go back to your desk and repeat. Get in the zone. And don’t check your emails or your phone during this time. It really does work if you are disciplined.

This may seem obvious, but studies have also found that when you multitask you are more likely to make mistakes. You are also more likely to be stressed. And then you will be MORE stressed that you are making mistakes!  It has also been proven that those with constant email access have higher heart rates. 

Multitasking also causes us to overeat, miss out on life, jeopardize our relationships, hinder our creativity, and more.

So what can we do about this insanity? Nothing. 

No, I don’t mean there is nothing that we can do. I mean, spend some more time doing “nothing.” Doing nothing is not a sign of laziness, it can actually be quite pleasurable to be idle. But for most of us, this is incredibly difficult. 

Some of you are rolling your eyes reading this, and feel that you can’t take the time to do “nothing”, but here are some ways you can try:

1. UNPLUG. Get off social media and your email! I know you can’t do this for long, but start by turning your phone off an hour before bed. And don’t check your email until you get into the office in the morning. I’m guilty of not practicing what I preach at times. My cell phone is my alarm clock and then the first thing I do, while still in bed is check my work email!

2. TAKE A BREAK. Skip the house chores for a little while and get out and go for a walk, play with your kids, or read a chapter in a book (all without your phone on you).

3. TURN OFF YOUR TV. You will be amazed how much more time you find in the day when you don’t let the TV steal it from you.

4. RELAX AND TAKE IT ALL IN. Take a bath and focus on the smell of the bubbles.Take a walk in the woods and touch the leaves and look at them closely. Walk around your neighborhood and appreciate the architecture of the surrounding structures. Whatever it is, try to focus on what you’re seeing, feeling, smelling, touching, or tasting. 

5. BREATHE. Slowly breathe in through your nose, hold for a moment, and slowly breathe out through your mouth. Count your breaths. The minute you realize you have gotten lost in thought, start counting again. See if you can do this for five minutes. 

6. STOP JUDGING. Others, but yourself too. One of the things I have learned from doing meditation is that you really can’t do it wrong. You’re not supposed to feel a certain way. It’s a practice, not a treatment.  Let go of your expectations. It’s an acquired skill, but keep doing it and it gets easier.  It’s ok if your mind wanders. If you’re aware of it, you’re on the right track to mastering this. 

If you can start incorporating these small steps into your daily life, you will likely become more productive, fulfilled, refreshed, and well-rested! ... And who doesn't need more of that?