How to Stop Multitasking

Given the highly interactive Internet era we live in, many employees are dwelling in a sea of information with too many distractions. Studies have confirmed that multitasking not only reduces productivity at work, but it also makes less efficient and prone to making mistakes. It also pushes your brain to work harder which can have a long term effect on your memory. The key to producing high quality work in today’s demanding workplace is to know when to slow down. You need to train your brain to manage all the input at once. Akhtaboot is here with a number of tips to help you stop multitasking at work and to help manage your tasks more effectively.

Work on One Task at a Time

It’s illegal to speak on your mobile phone while driving a car –and for a good reason: the human brain is not wired to do multiple tasks at the same time. Multitasking will slow you down as you will become more susceptible to making mistakes, especially if one or more of your activities involve a lot of critical thinking. Contrary to popular belief, focusing on one task at a time will allow you to get more done and with fewer mistakes.

Prioritize

Most employees are always on the look for ways to achieve multiple goals simultaneously. In fact, many non-multitaskers perceive themselves as poor performers. While it might seem easy to do two routine tasks at the same time, doing two tasks that are both complex, will push your brain to work harder and can have an effect on your productivity. The key to avoid multitasking is to focus first on the heavy tasks that need your full attention. Once those tasks are done, you can go back to juggling your routine tasks that you normally do.

Eliminate Distractions
Social media is one of the top distractions in today’s workplace. Yet, employees can’t drag themselves away from scrolling through their news feed every couple of minutes. There’s nothing wrong with taking a 10-minute break to clear your mind from a heavy task. If you have to check your social media feeds, schedule time in your day for that. The key here is to not get carried away.

Take Regular Breaks

We are designed to work in cycles. We concentrate for a period of time but then need time to rest. Research shows that working non-stop on multiple tasks can take a great toll on your performance and you’ll end up feeling exhausted. So if you feel that your productivity is decreasing due to multitasking, it might actually mean that you need to take more breaks to recharge your energy. Taking regular pauses during the work day can improve productivity, mental awareness, reduce fatigue, and relieve muscle pain.

Put it on Paper

Too many mental notes make for a messy mind. Avoid overloading your brain with too many mental notes as you will only drain your mental energy. Putting whatever’s on your mind on paper or on a digital notepad will also help you limit distractions and improve your concentration. Knowing that you have too many unfinished tasks can drain your mental energy. So write it all down on a piece of paper.