Do you answer emails during meals or return phone calls while you’re running errands? Are you constantly checking your phone or computer even though you’re in the middle of a work project? You probably complain about how you’re juggling too many things but secretly take pride in your ability to multitask and get it all done. If this describes you, the reality is that you’re actually being less productive and more stressed than you would be if you stopped multitasking. So start unitasking.
Research shows that multitasking reduces productivity by 40%. That’s the same effect that you’d see if you missed a full night’s sleep. When you multitask your attention is divided; you’re not fully concentrating on the task at hand. Worse, is that each time you’re interrupted or shift to another task, your mind needs time to catch up and refocus. That’s lost time. The more times you switch gears, the more productivity you lose and the more stress on your brain.
To achieve peak performance in your personal and professional life, you have to protect your brainpower. Your brain operates most efficiently when it fully focuses on one thing at a time; otherwise known as unitasking. Just 2% of people can truly multitask. The rest of us are just working in a series of short bursts that force our brains to work harder to concentrate. It also results in constant anxiety because we feel we can’t get everything done. Unitasking solves these problems.
It's not easy to start unitasking when you’ve spent years multitasking, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
· Don’t sit at your computer or have your phone near you when you eat
· Take a break from work during the day – get up and stretch, take a walk, meditate
· Put away electronics when you’re with your family
· Set limits on the number of times you check your phone or email during the workday, especially when you are in the middle of an important project
· Disable electronic notifications
· Turn off electronics well before you go to bed
If you can’t break the multitasking habit on your own, contact me for a consultation. You’ll be surprised how much more productive you’ll be and the better you’ll feel when you can successfully unitask.
Janine Friedman, Owner and founder of Choice Training and Coaching Solutions, Inc. is an executive and leadership coach and holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation from the International Coaching Federation. She empowers executives to improve their performance, address their challenges, and achieve their goals through customized coaching and training. To learn more about her background click here. To schedule a conversation to discuss these ideas further, click here.
Success is a Choice
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