Are There Benefits to Single-Tasking?
In most workplaces, multi-tasking is valued because the perception is that you are being productive and not wasting the company’s money. Sometimes we think that if we multitask we will get things done faster, because after all I’m doing more than one thing at a time…NOT TRUE…
The truth is that multitasking is actually causing your brain to work much harder to remember everything AND you’re much more likely to make mistakes because you’re interrupting yourself by focusing on too much at once.
Multi-tasking can cause anxiety because it makes you feel scattered, due to your brain trying to focus on more than one thing at a time. The lack of focus on any of the tasks can cause fear that you will forget to do part of the task or do it incorrectly, which will increase your anxiety.
Anxiety and the brain
When you experience anxiety two parts of your brain are affected. The amygdala is involved in expressing emotions, and the hippocampus plays a major role in learning and memory. Persistent anxiety can cause the amygdala to grow and intensify the body’s response to threatening or scary situations. Anxiety will cause the hippocampus to shrink which will make it harder to create new memories and to remember things. This part of the brain will also link the emotion of a situation to the place where that emotion happened.
This is why you may dread going to work or feel anxiety as soon as you see your work Building; your brain remembers how much stress and anxiety you feel there and in a way to protect itself will want you to avoid it. (Which is behind that urge to call in sick.)
Benefits of single-tasking
1. Improved focus and memory
2. Feeling more peace, and a sense of calm
3. Actually enjoy the task that you’re doing
4. Lower stress levels
5. Not feeling as exhausted at the end of the day
6. Feeling proud of the tasks that you’ve completed, rather than having multiple things
partially done
7. Thinking more clearly can allow more creativity to flow
TIPS for being a successful single-tasker
Remember to start slow if you’re not used to this style of work and take breaks walking or something removing yourself from the task. Try a 30-minute interval focused and a 5-minute break to start with because this level of focused work can be intense if you’re not used to it.
1. When working on a computer, close out documents and internet tabs that aren’t related to the task you’re working on
2. Put your phone on do-not-disturb or put it out of sight so you won’t be distracted by it
3. Put in headphones or find a quieter space if possible
4. Don’t check your email or phone during the time you set to focus on a task
5. Pick one task to focus on and when your brain wanders to other things, remind yourself of the positive feelings that will come from completing the task. If your brain wanders to things you need to remember make a note of the item to remember and then return back to the original task
6. If someone interrupts your focus with another task, unless it's really urgent, write down what they’re asking you to do so you don’t forget, but return focus to the original task so that you can finish before moving on to the other task. You may need to tell the person who brought the other task that you will get to it as soon as you finish the current task, and give an approximate time estimate for completing the current task so that they don’t feel dismissed. (This is a time boundary)
7. Start with a small task and work up to bigger tasks and notice how your thought patterns and stress levels are different when you allow yourself to focus
If you still think that you feel more productive when you multi-task, think about how you’d feel about your surgeon or pilot multi-tasking such as checking their email or phone while doing these critical jobs. Would you be worried about performance or dangers related to being distracted? If yes, then you understand why single-tasking is important. I understand your daily tasks probably aren’t this critical but the focus will help you prevent mistakes and feel more accomplished. I encourage you to give single-tasking a try and notice any differences in thoughts, focus, feelings of accomplishment, and stress levels. Remember that anything new will be a little uncomfortable at first, but with practice, it will become a normal way of functioning.
Roubicek & Thacker Counseling is Fresno’s premier provider of individual, couples, family, and group therapy. We offer in-person and online remote therapy sessions. Contact us today to change the way you feel.