I took an extraordinary step the other day. Actually, I took no steps, while texting. And oh, what a relief it was. To have my feet firmly planted in a safe spot (as opposed to crossing a street!) and enjoy focusing on a single task. As the attached link explains, multitasking is a myth. Oh, how I wish it could be removed from job descriptions, “must be good at multitasking.” We might as well add to a job description, “must be good at flapping arms and flying around the room.”
We can only focus on one item (internal or external) at any given moment. Multi-tasking is a misnomer. What we actually do is rapidly shift our attention between different phenomena. As described in the attached NPR story, this capacity to rapidly shift attention may have had an evolutionary advantage. But our hunter-gather ancestors were not rapidly shifting between smartphone, email, television and tweet (and pot boiling on the stove and someone yelling outside the door!). Studies on attention and interruptions reveal we require from 7-25 minutes to return to the task. Now, how much time are we saving, and how much more productive are we with multitasking?
Now, consider being able to focus on one task. Completely. Feel breath deepen, body relax and mind become laser-like focused upon one task. Imagine this to be your standard operating procedure.
While we may desire this opportunity, we tend to be trapped in pseudo-multitasking mode. Even if we want to slow down and really smell the roses, our minds continue to make To-Do lists or worry or plan or scan. Mindfulness invites us to practice and reclaim our capacity to be fully present, fully focused, fully engaged, in this moment, in this one task. Ahhh...
Think You're Multitasking? Think Again
Tags:
multi-tasking, stress
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