If you’re a proud multitasker, listen up. If you’re wearing a badge because you can do multiple things at once, it’s time to get real. While multitaslking was once a hot buzzword, it isn’t any longer. New research is clear, multitasking is completely ineffective. So if multasking isn’t productive or effective, what is? Enter singletasking.
In this new video, I’m sharing all about singletasking. What it is, how to do it, and why it’s absolutely essential for your productivity, mood, and overall mental health. Don’t miss this one!
We live in a culture that loves efficiency. We’re always looking for a new and improved way to get more done in a shorter amount of time. And for a long time, our answer to this has been doing multiple things at once.
I’m going to clean the house, while listening to music, while playing with my kids, and cooking dinner, all at the same time. I’m going to check my email, look over some notes, text about dinner plans tonight, and chat with a coworker, all while eating lunch at my desk.
Is this you? Do you often switch between tasks, doing multiple things at once, feeling super productive?
What if I told you though that multitasking has been shown to be completely ineffective. It reduces productivity, focus, and, performance. It increases stress and anxiety. And it also impacts memory.
It takes a lot of time and energy for your brain to engage, focus, and be productive. And every time you switch between tasks, you’re draining your brain’s precious resources. If you want to know more about just how unhelpful multitasking is, you can check out this post, where I share more about it.
So, if multitasking isn’t effective or helpful, then what should we do instead? Singletasking. Singletasking is the answer!
Singletasking is pretty self-explanatory. You focus on one thing at a time. One thing, and one thing only. Train your brain to direct your attention to what you’re doing right now. Singletasking calls for laser focus on the activity at hand. Finish one task before you start the next.
And when you get distracted and start doing something else? Redirect your attention back to the task at hand. One thing at a time, over and over.
If you’re at work, and plugging away on a project, just do that. Close your email, stop all other tasks, put your phone away, and just do that project. If you’re watching TV at home, unwinding after a long day, just do that. Put your phone away. Put your computer away. Put the book down, and don’t try to eat your dinner at the same time. Just watch TV.
Just because you can multitask, doesn’t mean it’s effective or good for you. After all, I can eat 20 Oreos in a row, but that isn’t good for me either!
So my challenge to you this week is to embrace single tasking. Do one thing at a time. Focus your attention on what you’re doing and nothing else. It’s probably going to feel weird and hard at first, but stick with it.
Single tasking is better for your mood, productivity, memory, and all around sanity. So this week, singletask. Do one thing at a time, and see the difference this makes!
PS: Want another productivity hack? Boost Focus and Productivity with This 15 Second Trick!
