Multitasking is out

Multitasking is dangerous so how do we wean ourselves off? It is important to know that multitasking renders us far less productive than we are capable of, it also gets us functioning at a level far below what we can generally manage. The results when we multitask is producing a very poor product, shoddy work, or interaction with no focus on the person we interacting with. A few ideas to wean ourselves off:

1. Switch off the games, the computer and the phone. Start off with an hour a day. A good time is when you are with family or in a meeting with your team. Look everybody in the eyes and truly engage.
2. Embrace mindfulness in everything that you do. This will take practice to perfect, but make yourself learn to do one thing at a time. Our brains were not made to multitask. If you are eating, sit down, look at he food, chew slowly and enjoy your meal. Use silence creatively. Listen to other points of view and have others experience your interest in what they have to say.
3. Bring back the 'to do'list and go back to prioritising your activities. Planning what to do in advance works wonders.
4. Breathe throughout, stand up and stretch every hour.
5. Be aware of your energy. Do the more demanding tasks when you are mostly productive.
6. Have your routine work for you.What do you do before you start work? Do you take time to think about your work during the process of doing work?
7. Use feedback. Solicit feedback from colleagues and family. How do they feel with you on your laptop almost every evening when you come back from work? Is there a quick win that you can consider? Do your colleagues experience you as fully present or all over the place?
8.Finish what you start unless your work is to initiate and move on. There is satisfaction in staying with a task, until finish. As you step back and admire what you have done, you can only be focused on that outcome.
9. Use a timer to help you develop these habits incrementally, as you immense yourself fully in one thing at a time.
10. Accept that you cannot always do it all.

One of the most dangers of multitasking lately has been texting and driving. Just don't do it.