This Week’s Challenge: Stop Multitasking or making a milkshake with your brain
We all feel proud when we say we can multitask and get a lot done. However, many say that multitasking is a myth. We may think we are doing great by getting 10 things done at once, but in reality we are just doing them less focused and at a much lower quality.
According to Dr. Caroline Leaf, our brain only has the true capacity to focus on one thing at a time. “What we really do is shift our attention rapidly from task to task, resulting in two bad things: (1) We don’t devote as much focused attention as we should to a specific activity, task, or piece of information, and (2) we sacrifice the quality of our attention…This poor focusing of attention and lack of quality in our thought lives is the complete opposite of how the brain is designed to function and causes a level of brain damage. Every rapid, incomplete, and poor-quality shift of thoughts is like making a milkshake with your brain cells and neurochemicals.” Instead of multitasking, Dr. Leaf recommends mono-tasking, which is choosing to direct your full attention to one single activity until it is finished, or pausing one task completely before addressing an urgent new demand.
So this week, let’s try to slow down enough to give our full attention to what is most important at the time. The people in our lives will also appreciate the undivided attention we give them.