Overwhelmed? Remove Multi-Tasking From Your Day
Learn to focus on a single task.
The demands on our attention are endless, and it’s easy to get pulled in different directions. You sit down to work, and a Slack message comes flying in. A quick glance at your phone, and you see a notification from your project management tool. Then, you remember that you need to write a social post for the day. Before you know it, your day is half over, and you feel like you haven’t gotten anything done.
Sound familiar?
Multitasking feels like a necessity, but research shows over and over that it harms productivity. Psychology Today says that we can lose up to 40% of our productivity when we multitask. Even if you think you’re good at multitasking, research says otherwise. Only 2.5% of people show zero deficits when multitasking. Chances are, multitasking comes at a cost. You lose time and you’re more likely to make a mistake.
The opposite of multi-tasking is single-tasking, or focusing on one thing at a time. Because we’ve been wired to move in a million different directions, this can feel strange at first and definitely takes some effort. But with practice, you’ll find that you’re more productive and focused.
Here are some steps to re-train your brain for single-tasking.
