Stop trying to get better at multitasking.
That’s what Dr. Natalia Peart advises to avoid burnout and have a better work-life balance.
In a world with shorter attention spans, many people have resulted to multitasking to optimize productivity. Dr. Peart believes there are problems with multitasking. She has found that there are several multitasking problems that affect people in the long term.
I had an opportunity to ask her some questions about multitasking to find solutions about being more successful in life while avoiding burnout.
Why Multitasking
Kallen: Where did the myth of multitasking come from and why do so many people try to master it?
Dr. Peart: We live in a society with an increasingly rapid pace of change, and we are now expected to be connected and “on” 24/7 just to keep pace.
Most of us would say that as a result, we have way too much on our plate. A never-ending list of to-dos, a daily life that is just moving too fast, not to mention the stress and anxiety from a life that feels like it is always coming at us is at an all-time high.
We’re all trying to find ways to solve the too- much- to- do, too -little- time problem. What is the solution most of us fall into for this problem? Multitasking. We think that in this fast-paced world, being a good multitasker says that we are not only able to handle more than others, but we are also more productive than others.
Kallen: What’s the difference between “multitasking” and “serial-tasking”?
Dr. Peart: When you say you’re multitasking by writing an email and talking on the phone at the same time, for example, what you’re really doing is typing part of an email, then stopping and switching to your phone conversation, then stopping and returning to your email, and so on.
It will take you longer overall, you won’t be as accurate, and you’re taxing your brain because you need to refocus continually with all of the switching back and forth.
This switching is considered serial tasking in rapid succession, not multitasking. This serial tasking not only makes you less productive, not more, but it also reduces your long-term memory and creativity. And this doesn’t even address the mental exhaustion it produces.
Avoiding The Multitasking Addiction
Kallen: What are some ways to ease yourself away from multitasking but still get everything done?
Dr. Peart: Your brain can focus for only ninety to 120 minutes before it needs a break. That is why when you need to rest, your body sends you clear signals such as fidgeting, hunger, drowsiness, and loss of focus.
Many of us just ignore these signals and treat the symptoms with things like loading up on caffeine or simple sugars for a boost. The problem is that we then become addicted to the adrenalin rush because we never fix the real problem—we only treat the symptom.
Instead, see it as a series of sprints, where you take breaks after these 90-120-minute cycles for higher and more sustainable performance. You will be more productive if, at the end of these cycles, you take a few minutes to step away and disengage from mentally challenging tasks, giving your brain time to rest and recover.
Want More? Win a Free Copy of Dr. Natalia Peart’s FutureProofed
Starting today, you can enter to win a free copy of FutureProofed: How to Navigate Disruptive Change, Find Calm in Chaos, and Success in Work and Life.
At the end of 30 days, we will select three random winners and Dr. Natalia Peart will mail each winner a copy of her book.
You can enter to win a free copy by going to my Contact page and send me an email with the subject title, I Want to Be FutureProofed!
Photo: Pixabay