Multitasking: screwing things up simultaneously :)

Do you multitask? C'mon. Of course you do! We all do. In fact, right now while I'm writing this post I'm also talking to my husband, brewing a pot of tea, clicking between window tabs to check my email, and creating a "to do" list for tomorrow. Yeesh.

But it makes sense. Our culture today seems to demand and even prides itself on multi-tasking. All of us are working longer hours but are still trying to cram in all that we can (hello twitter, facebook, emailing, texting, web surfing) into our limited free time. In addition to that, we also want to spend an optimal amount of time with our families and friends and still have time for ourselves. The solution seems to be simple: do more than one thing at a time. But research shows that multitasking is not as efficient as we think.

"Several studies have conclusively shown that those trying to do multiple activities simultaneously lose time when they have to quickly switch between tasks. Then the time costs increase with the complexity of the tasks, so it takes significantly longer to switch between more complex tasks. In other words, while you think you’re saving time, you’re actually wasting it. In addition to that, the quality you’re able to put toward both tasks is significantly lowered" (Prof. D Meyer of University of Michigan).

Furthermore, multitasking can bring on more stress in our lives. "Due to the amount of time multitaskers take to flit between one job and another, they become less efficient and their brain literally slows down, which causes stress levels to rise, which in turn leads to mistakes being made and stress levels rising even more. So it's no wonder we feel frantic when we try to do too many things at once" (source).

Solution? Practice UNI-TASKING. Slow down and experience the present moment. I tried this for one whole day and I was truly surprised to discover how relaxing it felt to just do one thing at a time. Try it: have a phone conversation without checking your email, making a list, or surfing the Internet. Make dinner without listening to the TV or cleaning up your kitchen. Just chop up your vegetables and notice their color and texture. Drink your tea or coffee and notice the flavor and temperature. This is a great new thing to do in 2010. For a few minutes every day, focus your attention on one activity at a time, without bringing in anything else. It's an exercise that requires attentive "tunnel vision" and resisting the multiple distractions of our increasingly over stimulating environment. But I think you may be surprised at its calming effects.