Multitasking – the illusion of efficiency
With the advent of technology, we all are multitaskers. It is as if we are in a competition to see who can juggle the most balls at one time. We are on our cell phone, typing on the computer, listening to our spouse tell us what we should be doing and listening to our new CD in the background. We tell ourselves that we are efficient.
As we know all too well, we do get things done. Yet, when we do several things simultaneously, we are doing nothing well or peacefully. Unlike our computers which run several programs at one time, our brains quickly loose focus. We all have had the experience of “not hearing” what our spouse said to us. Yes, we were listening, but how can we allow what was said to soak in when we are doing three other things at the same time.
There is an incepted effect from multitasking, it takes energy and intent to hold several awarenesses at the same time. Tracking all the things we are doing in one moment, we tense up and shut off our other awareness. We stop being aware of our own experience, we stop picking up on the subtle communication that is going on and we slip into a reactionary mode. To hold this focus of multiple awarenesses, we must hold our bodies tense as if we are holding away all other distractions. After years of doing this to our mind and our body, we accumulate tension and a learned behavior pattern that feel very normal.
You may say, yes I have learned to perfect my multitasking and I am real good at it. My question is, at what cost? I know we believe we are getting more done. It does seem like it when everyone else is also doing it and by default encouraging us to do the same. Years ago, when I was teaching our Mindfulness Stress Reduction course one of our first students, a woman who was a senior VP for a large corporation in Phoenix was proud that she had two phones, which she was often on simultaneously, she rarely took lunch and worked at least 60 hours per week. She was in the course because she had high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping and felt tired. Five weeks into the eight week course, she came to class confused and excited. She removed the second phone, was taking lunches and did not work over 40 hours the previous week. As she hoped would occur, she was sleeping better and feeling more rested. What she could not understand was how was she getting more work done in less time.
Every time we switch focus, “task-switching,” we loose a little time to regain our focus. David E. Meyer, Ph. D., who heads the University of Michigan’s Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory, has studied how the on going shifting between tasks slows us down while making us less sharp. Over time, he has shown this behavior causes fatigue and long-term health consequences. John Ratey, M.D., who teaches at Harvard and is a psychiatrist specializing in attention deficit disorder believes multitasking creates “pseudo-attention deficit disorder” and the corresponding neurotransmitter imbalances. A recent study showed that our reaction time is slowed when we are on our cell phones while driving.
As we completely focus on one task at one time, we get that task done quickly and completely with less effort. It was not until she made these changes did the corporate VP release she was loosing energy and productivity through the “cognitive overload” of multitasking.
What can you do?
- Like the VP, you can begin to unplug from some of your technology.
- That might be a little difficult, so let me suggest some other things you can do. The first is find time to slow down without all your distractions. We need personal renewal time and when we take it that rest and focus spreads into other activities. As you become more aware of how your body/mind is wired it will be easier to slow down in the middle of chaos.
- I suggest you do an experiment. For one week, you commit to do one thing at a time. If that is too much, try a day, if that is too much start with an hour. You will fall back into doing more than one thing at a time. That is expected, accept it and return to one focus, one action. As challenging as this sounds, it will work. You may get your life back.
- All the organizational methods that are available can help you maintain the focus of one task. Often we get distracted before we finish the first task. With a written plan, focus comes easier. There are many blogs which assist guiding you to high productivity, for example: Lifehacher, 43folers and 9rules.
- Do what humans should be good at doing – communicate intimately. When we experience someone fully we are not focus on anyone else. Sometimes just the though of doing this can be scary. I know in the men’s groups I started all of us in the group are apprehensive to share. Without an exception, every night we go over our intended ending time. Just being in a setting where people are speaking honestly slows us down. Often the men take their relaxed focus home and have great sex with their wife, deepening their ability to focus on one task.
- If all else fails, hang with a small relaxed child. Little kids can become enthralled with the simplest things for the longest of times. Alternatively, hang with a master. Here too you will see a person who is in no hurry, the journey is their end.
Shifting from multiple tasks and focuses to one task and one focus can be a huge stress reducer. Â Go for it.
Our lifestyle is killing us
A new study conducted in Great Britain lays out how our 24/7 lifestyle is stressing us out and making us sick. The good news is we are now beginning to admit to the effect stress has on us. In our white man culture, we grew up bragging about how hard and long we worked as we denied stress’ effect on us.
Possibly, with the inclusion of women in the workplace or maybe the concern of baby boomers growing old, we are beginning to see open discussions about the true consequence of our life style have on us.
Here in the US we work 200 more hours per year now than we did in 1970 – that is five full weeks of extra work per year! Our annual vacations are nothing compared to other industrialized countries. In fact, other countries have required vacations, for example German requires 18 days per year, the UK 20, Japan 25 and France 30. Here in the US the average man works in the range of 50 hours per week with no required vacation days.
Joe Robinson has made a career out of getting us to take time off. He does a good job of compiling all the stats that our brain needs to justify taking time off. He proves that a good vacation improves our productivity.
Short of a vacation, what can you do?
- Get honest – where is your passion? Are you having fun, are you challenged in a good way with work? You know the difference between getting by and looking forward to work.
- Make a difference – what about your life is a contribution? When we give, we renew ourselves. 43things can prime your pump.
- Give to your body – when is the last time you had a massage? A massage is a like a mini-vacation. Not only does it relax us, getting a massage tells us that we are loved, by ourselves. Us guys can take a lesson from our women friends and stretch our ability to receive and get a massage.
- Personal renewal time – when was the last time you did nothing? I mean not a thing. When we taught our Mindfulness Stress Reduction courses, we told the students in the pre-interview it did not matter how well they did the home work; it was just that they did it. We required that for the eight weeks that every day the student listens to one of the 45 minute tapes. Most said they could not find the time before the course began. By the end of the course one, of the greatest benefits reported was the 45 minutes everyday they had alone doing nothing.
We all let our lives style evolve to a place where they are running us. Reversing burnout begins with making some small behavior changes. Our mind tells us we do not have the time or maybe the money. Do not listen to those voices; give yourself one of the above gifts each week for a month. You can be the rat that gets off his or her treadmill.