The Joy Of Single-tasking

Anyone whose profession requires creative thought on a regular basis knows the struggle of trying to focus. Surrounded by beeping and buzzing devices, the sights and smells of open-plan offices, and increasingly multi-faceted workloads and responsibilities, we live in a world of endless distractions.

What’s more, we’re led to believe that the only way to fulfill our true potential is to do many things simultaneously. Multi-tasking. Problem is, while the idea of addressing multiple tasks at once is appealing from a productivity standpoint, it’s simply not possible in practice. A 2010 scientific study by a pair of researchers at the University of Utah determined that a very small percent of the population appeared to be better than the rest of us at multitasking. These people were labeled “Super-Taskers” and this study helped elevate the idea of multitasking as a desirable trait for professionals.

A few years later, researchers Mayer and Moreno concluded that it was nearly impossible for people to effectively learn from viewing multi-media sources of information simultaneously. With very few exceptions, human brains simply aren’t capable of focusing on more than one thing at a time. Psychologists have come to describe this experience as a processing bottleneck; the moment you start focusing on one thing, your attention to another immediately starts to diminish.

These studies point out what’s clear to anyone who came of age in a world before digital diversions; in attempting to multi-task, we’re really not getting much done at all. So, for the 98% of us who will never achieve Super-Tasker status, what’s the secret to bringing focus back into our lives? Here are few pro-tips we’ve found useful:

· For Social Media addicts, try one of the many apps that helps you be more aware of time spent on social channels and allows you to set a daily time limit for such activity, after which the selected sites will be blocked until the following day. For a few options, try here.

· Tune out, literally. Music has been proven to both help focus and also distract you from focusing. For optimal focus, choose a soundtrack with minimal lyrics (so you don’t get caught up in the words), and a moderate to upbeat pace (so that you aren’t lulled to sleep), and play it at a medium volume. More on this here.

· Lastly, just walk away. For a few minutes at least. Enjoy a stroll around the block. Do some push-ups in the park. Or, if time permits, take a quick nap. A mid-day reboot helps refresh your mind so that you can make the most of the final hours of the workday.