Overwhelmed, overthinking? Stop multitasking. Multitasking isn’t just bad for productivity, but it can also affect our mental health. The tactic of juggling multiple of responsibilities at one time is a recipe for anxiety. In doing so, the brain releases stress hormones like adrenaline, which can make it hard for you to focus and complete more tasks.
In a time of information overload and the pressure to use our time wisely, it’s all so easy to start too many tasks or none at all, and that is ok. Sometimes the worst distraction is our own well-intentioned desire to be productive. It’s important to do what feels right for you but keep things simple, do one thing at a time, focus and finish what you start.
You may start the day with 10 things on your to-do list and hope to accomplish them all. Is this realistic? If you don’t get to do all of them you may start to feel unproductive, only to repeat the cycle tomorrow.
Instead, start your day by asking yourself two questions:
1. What could I do today that will bring me a sense of meaning and purpose?
2. What are the two most important things I can do today that would have the greatest impact?
Focus and finish on the one thing you’re doing instead of switching between tasks. Write down what you’ve been putting off or needs to be done, and set aside 2 to 4 hours where you can totally focus on a single task, and then again the next day (no phones, email, social media).
This kind of singular focus will engage both sides of your brain and you will likely be able to achieve the kind of breakthroughs that make the biggest impact on the task you are working on, giving you a sense of achievement at the end of your day – no matter how big or small.
Less is more. Slow and steady wins the race 😊