Multitasking Won't Reduce Stress
Overwhelmed & Stressed? Multitasking Not a Cure if Stressed Out
Don't multi-task when you're overwhelmed by too many responsibilities, apply these disciplined approaches to reduce stress and increase productivity.
Millions of people suffer from too much stress in their lives. In many cases people are overwhelmed with heavy workloads at home and at the office. One solution often proposed is to multitask, attempting to do more by working on multiple tasks simultaneously. Multitasking is not an effective stress management tool, nor is it an effective way to accomplish relatively complex tasks.
The Myth of Multitasking
As reported in Overwhelmed, Stressed Multitasking, researchers from the University of Michigan and the FDA found that people took longer to complete tasks and with lower quality results when they worked on two or more activities simultaneously. Task duration and quality worsened as complexity increased.
The hope of leaders of downsized corporations that workers will absorb the responsibilities of others turns out to be just that, a hope. Instead of lean, highly efficient, productive operations, corporations are getting stressed out employees. This phenomena isn't isolated to the workplace. Two income families, attempting to stay ahead of rising costs and lower incomes, multi-task at home.
Focus on a Single Task
Multitasking is not the answer to accomplishing more things in a fixed amount of time. Rather than dealing with stress, multitasking is probably contributing to stressed out workers and homemakers alike. It's time to switch back to an emphasis on doing one thing at a time and doing it well. For clues on getting started, look to the techniques of efficient and effective business leaders.
A Disciplined Approach
It's possible to be productive, effective, and stress free by a disciplined approach to what you do and when you do it. Effective leaders make sure they are working on high priority tasks, the tasks are such that others can't do them, and they don't waste time. Adapt these techniques for yourself to be productive and stress free.
- Awareness. As with any life change, an important first step is awareness. For one week, keep a log of everything you do in a day and how long each task takes.
- Prioritize. A key to stress free productivity is to work on important tasks to the exclusion of lesser tasks. Review the log of activities and identify those tasks producing the greatest benefit. A good rule of thumb is that 20% of your activities generate 80% of your benefit. Concentrate on these tasks, setting a goal to complete one or two of them each day.
- Avoid Interruptions. Interruptions are your enemy. Some interruptions are unavoidable, but not as many as you might think. For starters, don't allow self initiated interruptions, such as checking email, voicemail, or your stocks. Establish interruption-free periods of the day when you'll focus on the most important tasks and avoid email, phone calls, and in-person interruptions.
- Establish Processes. Anything you do that is routine is a candidate for a highly efficient process. Trim unnecessary steps from routines and look for ways to automate, outsource, or delegate.
- Empower Others: What do you do that others in the family or at work could do and would be willing to do? We often tend to underestimate the capability of others, seeing them as they were in earlier years when they were inexperienced and dependent.
Cure for Stress and Being Overwhelmed
Practice these techniques for low stress productivity in place of multitasking. Gain awareness of what you do and where your time is spent, prioritize and focus on tasks bringing the greatest benefit, avoid time-wasting interruptions, establish processes, and empower others to offload some of your work. You'll find you complete your tasks with lower stress, higher quality, and greater satisfaction.
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Overwhelmed, Stressed Multitasking
