To Multitask Or Not To Multitask

Have you and your friends had this friendly debate regarding whether it’s better to multitask or focus on one thing at a time?

Everyone seems to have a different take on the subject, along with their own opinion regarding which is better.

Some people will swear it’s more efficient to multitask, while others will say it makes more sense to give one activity all of your focus. Each approach has its advantages, depending upon the activity at hand and your personal preferences.

When it comes down to it, there actually is one school of thought that tends to prevail with the experts. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons…

Benefits of Multitasking

The mind is an amazing thing. Its capabilities are vast, and many are still not understood by modern researchers. Obviously your brain is able to do more than one thing at a time. There are activities we perform simultaneously every day like talking on the phone while doing the dishes, walking while chewing gum and watching television while cleaning the living room. These are just a few examples.

What’s important to keep in mind with regard to multitasking are the types of activities you choose to combine, along with your unique brain’s capacity to manage them.

Not all of us can handle the same types of tasks well. Some more complex tasks require our single-minded focus. You need to balance the cognitive resources each task requires and find ones that work well in tandem.

Benefits of Not Multitasking

Researchers have shown that multitasking might not be as efficient as we’re led to believe, even with simple tasks.

When multitasking, you’re switching from one thing to another. Your attention is divided, and you don’t have the opportunity to really get “in the zone” of productivity. Focusing on just one task at a time allows you to fully immerse yourself in that thing, while giving all of your mental and physical resources to it.

Working to complete one task or solve just one problem at once allows you to get into a particular mindset, rather than continuously shifting cognitive gears. This lets you check that task off your list more quickly than it might have taken otherwise. In addition, you’ll usually make fewer mistakes when you focus and skip the multitasking.

Which Is Better?

Generally, experts believe it’s more productive and better to avoid multitasking and to focus on just one activity at a time.

Choose one task to give your full attention and to brainstorm the types of actions that will fix it. Then use your energy to implement your solution.

However, when it comes to problem solving, it is possible to juggle a couple issues at once. Just be aware of the types of mental power each requires and try to choose tasks that work well in conjunction.

For example, you can take steps to solve a money issue by picking up a side job as a dog walker and also get the fresh air and exercise that could help to improve your health, an issue that’s also been weighing on your mind heavily. Sometimes solving two problems at once works well.

But if it’s a challenging or complex task, even if it’s something you have done before, many people find focussing on one thing at a time is more productive than trying to multitask. 

These are a few of the pros and cons related to whether to multitask or not. Ultimately, the decision is yours. I hope these tips will help you to choose a path that works for you.

For more productivity tips and ideas check out My Productivity Blueprints at https://kmginfo.link/mpb