One of the topics I come back to over and over again when I write these articles is stress management.
And I believe that one of the most stressful behaviors or habits is “multi-tasking.”
I can feel the extra stress that trying to multi-task adds to my already fast paced life, and I’m guessing that you feel it in your day to day life as well.
It’s come to my attention in study after study that we really aren’t multi-tasking at all.
We’re actually switch-tasking.
So I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned and cast my vote in favor of Uni-Tasking.
The problem is not the world we live in and its technological possibilities, it’s about how we process information.
Study after study shows that we think we’re doing two things at once, when, really, we’re doing only one and just switching back and forth.
And in this switching process there’s a huge loss of efficiency.
From what I’ve read, it takes only 20 minutes of INTERRUPTED activity for people to report feeling higher levels of stress and pressure. If you live like this constantly, it starts a vicious cycle by releasing higher levels of stress hormones and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
When I think back to my parents or grandparents generation, there was a different sense of using time.
When we ate we ate, when we watched TV we watched TV; you know what I mean.
I think there are certain gifts you miss when multi-tasking.
Giving 100% of yourself to a task, moment or relationship brings a deeper sense of satisfaction and sense of peace.
When our minds are filled with noise, the brain gradually loses its capacity to attend fully to anything we do.
We’re training it through multi-tasking to have an attention deficit trait.
Another interesting point is that part of the essence of creativity is absorption.
Whether through meditation, taking a walk, or prayer, allowing yourself to recharge and be in the moment is essential to creativity and inspiration.
So think about doing some serious UNI-TASKING this coming week and see if you don’t feel the difference.
Maybe you’ll even want to join me in my desire to become a UNI-TASKER from here on out??
What’s been your experience with multi-tasking vs uni-tasking? Do you feel the difference?
shelli
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