the MIND less FULL

Not so Manic Now

Friday 12th February 2021

Multitasking has been a topic of conversation in many workshops I have delivered recently. Life, at the moment, for many people feels like one big giant juggle.

I was reminded of an article I wrote some time ago and thought it might be a relevant time to share again ……

For decades we have worn our multitasking badges with pride. The bigger the juggle, the bigger the badge.

So, how have we fooled ourselves into thinking that multitasking is so great?

Firstly, multitasking is addictive. It produces dopamine in the brain that creates a thrill - the same chemical responsible for getting people addicted to heroin and cocaine. We continue to do it as, quite frankly, there is something appealing about it. That buzz we get makes us feel accomplished.
Multitasking...the drug of the Nation.

Secondly, technological advancements have made multitasking possible. We now can send an email, talk on the phone, check Facebook, eat our tea, load the dishwasher and shout at the kids all at the same time. We have evolved into supreme multitasking beings. We can get things done so much quicker!

Except we haven't really evolved that much, our brains and bodies still largely respond in the same way as when we lived in caves with no internet. Furthermore, technology hasn't magically freed up the time we thought it would.

The down side of multitasking is that it triggers the stress response. When too many things are going on at once we go into 'alert' mode - seeking out potential threats to our survival. Cortisol and adrenaline are sent into overdrive every time we multitask, causing illness and long-term damage to the body.

Multitasking also impairs our memory. People have a limited capacity to remember stuff, the more information we juggle, the less we remember. It has been suggested that multitasking actually impairs our memory more than cannabis. No wonder life often feels like it is passing in a blur.

It also makes us exhausted. Trying to do lots of things at the same time uses up our energy supplies really quickly, depleting our bodies of glucose. No wonder we are all so permanently tired.

Whilst you *can* focus on more than one thing at a time, it doesn't mean you *should*. Multitasking just means your attention is divided - and that you are actually underperforming rather than over-performing. Psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell has gone so far as to describe multitasking as a “mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously as effectively as one.'

Monotasking leads to more focus, more enjoyment, more productivity, better memory, less stress and a healthier mind and body.

Whilst life might be chaotic at present, trying to find at least some small opportunities to focus on the task in hand can be beneficial. So, if you're watching, just watch. If you're listening, just listen. If you're reading, just read. If you're eating, just eat.

Monotasking - the new multitasking. Embrace the change with pride.

Striving for the MIND less FULL.

One. Step. At. A. Time.