How do you do it all? Daily commitments and an increasingly hectic lifestyle often lead to carrying out two or even more different activities at the same time. Il multitasking it’s a habit that many people can’t do without, but it can be counterproductive and lead to feeling constantly stressed. Conversely, rediscover the practice of monotasking can have a positive impact on productivity and personal well-being.
In this article
What is Monotasking?
Il monotasking consists in focus on one activity at a time. It requires the ability to focus on one task and do it without distractions.
Multitasking e task switching
When you perform multiple tasks that require concentration, what is loosely referred to as multitasking is actually task switching. There are various studies that demonstrate how this continuous shift generates a negative impact on productivity. In fact, the brain, unable to perform multiple tasks at the same time, needs to time to move on to the new activity. As a result, you also become less productive.
Doing more things together can work when at least one of the two activities is almost automatic and therefore requires a low level of effort (e.g. talking and walking).
Distracted by technology
Our Attention works like a filter. Being bombarded with simultaneous information that come from the environment, this cognitive process allows us to select only a part of it. So you can identify those that are relevant from those that are not needed at that time.
The technology made us more and more multifunctionalleading us to constantly check phone notifications, social media and news and keep the so-called divided attention. On the one hand, attention is paid to multiple stimuli. On the other hand, it is difficult to select the relevant ones and maintain concentration, with one drastic reduction of attention span.
Effects of multitasking
The negative effects of multitasking pertain to the risk of mental dispersionto the ease of committing careless errors and to the consequent loss of quality of the tasks that are going to be performed. A common effect of this habit is, for example, the feeling of feeling overwhelmed by work despite having spent several hours in front of a desk. Psychophysical well-being is also affected, since the overload of tasks can generate fatigue e dissatisfactionas well as an increase inanxiety e stress.
How to practice monotasking
Practice the monotaskingfor many it means rethink the way of working and change most of the current habits and mindsets. The first difficulty may arise from not being able to prioritize the many things to do and to want to deal with them all at the same time, even if it is not possible in practice. You have to give a order of importance to deadlines and objectives and then, based on this, organize your time. Monotasking also means working onself-discipline and try to avoid distractions (e.g. using social media, chat, etc…), but also learn to delegatewhen necessary.
The benefits of monotasking
Experience the satisfaction of doing one thing at a time by dedicating all your attention to it: this is how monotasking can help you to be more performing, less stressed e more present and connected with other people.