We all think that when we are “multitasking”, we are getting more things done at once. But, the truth is, it adds stress to our lives and without us knowing about it, we end up making mistakes in many of these tasks we do. Missing attachments in sent emails, shouting at a colleague without a reason or that one important activity taking too long than what you expected. Sounds familiar?
Take a look at #8 in this article that talks about things to give up to be successful in life. It is so hard to give up on this if you are an chronic multitasker. To start with, just try turning off notifications on cell phones or keeping it away locked somewhere when you are on an important task.
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If you think about it, nothing bad is going to happen if you don’t see that shopping promotion code you received in an email or that funny video your friend just forwarded. De-prioritise on things which you don’t need around you when you are getting things done productively. A cell phone is just an example. But, if taking calls is part of your job, you may want to start with some other item which may be distracting and less important. Regular practice can make these changes in your habit. You just have to try it a few times, see if it makes any difference and if there is no downside to it, why not just follow it all the time? A recent research here has shown that the presence of cell phones itself reduces a person’s cognitive capacity.