Taking back our control
Safeguarding Our Focus
One of the biggest drawbacks of living in an innovative, digital world is that it can dampen our level of focus and attention. In this day and age, it goes without saying that there are numerous distractions, as notifications from various accounts and platforms continue to flood our screens.
For many, there are just too many things on the list of priorities, and the way some choose to handle it might come as a last resort — multitasking. It’s a popular style of working that while appearing efficient, actually causes a lot more damage to our work and performance than we might realize.
Multitasking only makes us more distractible and prone to errors. Rapidly switching between tasks is taxing for our brains, tiring it out and making it less efficient overall.
Also, multitasking can temporarily increase stress levels, raising our heart rate and blood pressure at the moment. This is the last thing we need when we are in the middle of working hard on something that matters.
Thankfully, there are some things we can control when it comes to protecting our time and focus amid all of the things that can get in the way. Below are six tips I recommend to stop multitasking once and for all.
1. Make a Checklist
One of the most important things to do at the top of your day is to write down all of the priorities you need to focus on. Checklists are simple and easy plans you can rely on for organizing all of your tasks in one place.
They are also useful for different contexts and situations. Whether you create one for your work projects or personal errands, having some kind of reference that you can follow makes the day a whole lot easier.
2. Order by Importance
One tip that many others continue to swear by is the practice of doing your most important tasks first. Simply getting two or three things done can give you the momentum you need for the rest of the day.
That way, you can get the most pressing items out of the way ahead of time, allowing you more time to prepare and finalize any minor needs. You can also take breaks in between as needed to re-energize and refocus your brain.
3. Use Time Blocking
Another tip I recommend to stop multitasking is to use time blocks in your calendar. You do this by scheduling out every part of your day, breaking your work week into specific blocks dedicated to certain activities.
Blocks can include time slots for checking your email, working on projects, taking breaks, or getting exercise. As a time management strategy, it is a way for you to reclaim your day by designing it in the way that best suits your needs.
4. Turn Off Notifications
While it might sound obvious, turning notifications off on other devices is not one that some find easy to do. When urgent matters require a quick back-and-forth style of communication, this hack might not be the best way to go depending on your job itself.
Nonetheless, there might be some notifications we are regularly receiving that could use some rethinking. With so many silent mode features available, there are definite ways to reduce the number of times we receive alerts, distracting us from our process.
5. Optimize Your Environment
It’s been said over and over again that our environment directly impacts our overall mindset and level of focus. The science behind habit-building continues to emphasize that designing our environment helps cue desired behaviors.
We can do this by getting rid of any clutter or mess surrounding us when we are in the middle of working. Whether that involves cleaning our desk areas, cars, or rooms, the difference in our overall experience shows up like night and day.
6. Find a Quiet Place
When all else fails, the most effective way to stop multitasking is to remove yourself from any place that can take away your focus. Sometimes, we can get pulled away from our work when we continue to respond to those in our surroundings.
Nowadays, there are plenty of vacant areas or coworking spaces available if you know where to find them. Noiseless headphones and AirPods are also useful for tuning out all of the other tasks demanding your attention.
Increasing Our Productivity
Multitasking is a complicated process that is prone to more chaos than we need. In the end, it is a counterintuitive way to get things done as we can end up harming our mental health with less energy and calmness throughout our day.
While it’s not always easy to focus on one thing at a time with everything going on around us, the benefits of doing so are worth it. When you stop multitasking, you get a lot more done with fewer mistakes and a lot less stress in the process.
