Employers have always seen multitasking as an important component to handle manifold tasks by organizing, prioritizing, and focusing on work. The employee’s multitasking saves their time and resources as they reach their goals every day. In return, the latter is encouraged to uphold the practice in the form of minor raises and promotions. Even the interviews are rooted on evaluating the multitasking skills of candidates and those skills are directly linked with the level of productivity and accomplishments at the workplace. But the recent studies have emphasized that shifting between tasks affects performance and productivity as a brain is not designed to perform and focus on multiple tasks at one time. Let’s dig deeper into how multitasking can actually do more harm than good to a person’s mind.
1. Multitasking & Its Effects On Cognitive Abilities
Multitasking takes a serious toll on the cognitive ability of a person. Earlier it was assumed that the impairment is temporary but recent researches have supported the notion that a permanent damage is imminent as the density level in the cingulate cortex of the brain prompts apathy and rigidness in a person while messing up with their emotional and cognitive control. As our brains are not designed to focus on more than one thing at one time, their efficiency is hurt when the process of switching information takes place resulting in more mistakes and errors. Also a multitasker has at least 15 points lower of an IQ than the one who focuses on one assignment at one time. So why not prioritizing the tasks for a better outcome.
2. Loosen Up The Pressure Of Multitasking
Take occasional breaks when you do to list is overwhelming. Talk to your manager about the problems you are facing due to excessive pressure of meeting deadlines and its possible consequences. Try to synergize. Take help from your colleagues. Or request your boss to extend the deadlines. Keep in mind that multitasking can affect your performance and eventually your increments and promotion chances. So, it’s better to take time rather than submitting underperformed assignments. Multitasking is a result of impulsive behaviour and unfocused attitude. It encourages the stressors and distractions so will its results.
3. Start Prioritizing Today
Focusing on one task at one time is more productive than multitasking. Applying the infamous 20 minutes rule to get done with an assignment is beneficial rather than looking after the myriad of paper and electronic information and switching between the tasks. That makes a multitasker more prone to tune out attention, information, and deadlines and tend them to have little organizational skills and are duped to several distractions with the end results showing sloppy work, indecisiveness, lack of creativity, and stress.
4. How You Can Be More Productive Without Multitasking
Jot down the list of things that need to be done. Prioritize and mark deadlines and devote yourself to complete the assignment point in time. Keep distractions at bay and withhold any mental shifts during the task. And the only way you can get rid of the interruptions is to schedule a time for them in your to-do list as well. Meet your outside distractions or the emails, Facebook, or important new feeds preferably during tea breaks or while socializing at your workplace, just not when a crucial task needs to be completed for you are more likely to oversee the critical information associated with the task.
Multitasking byproducts are disvalued assignments, loss of time and resources, money and added stress in life. So better focus on one task at one point of time for favourable results.