For the longest time, I thought I was so productive because I was great at multitasking. Doing two or three things at a time helped me do more things quickly and blast through my to-do list. With time, I have come to understand that while I might appear to do more faster, I am not necessarily being more efficient.
With more mindfulness practice, I have learned that multitasking can actually be counterproductive. While mindfulness suggests we give our full focus to anything we are doing at any given time, multitasking is more like juggling. While all the balls might be in the air at the same time, the juggler isn’t really looking or paying attention to a single one.
I have caught myself watching a TV show while checking social media. I also have been guilty of sitting to chat with my family while writing an email. I have been helping a customer and at the same time responding to a co-worker’s inquiry. So, yes, I might be DOING more, but the truth is I am not all in, 100% THERE. When we multitask, our attention is inevitably divided and scattered. While we might be investing enough energy or attention to complete a task, we are not fully committing to every single thing we choose to do. This can result in completing a task satisfactorily, but not necessarily to the best of our ability. More importantly, it can cause us to miss important details, moments and satisfaction in the process. While we might be getting checks on a list, how much are we really paying attention to, enjoying and processing what we are doing?
Research shows that our brains cannot actually “multitask.” Instead, our brains shift rapidly back and forth between the tasks we are attempting to do at the same time. Each time we switch from hearing music to writing a text or talking to someone, there is a stop/start process that goes on in the brain. That back-and-forth process can be rough: rather than saving time, it costs time (even if they are tiny microseconds). It’s less efficient, we make more mistakes, and over time it can drain our energy.
If I were to read a book while playing music in the background, the quality of my reading, or even my listening of the music, would be totally different than if I only read or listened to music.
Trying to multitask really takes away from our journey, from savoring each moment, each conversation, each piece of information. While we may do many things at once, we lose the fullness of each experience. The delicate details of life are not heard, felt or understood. When we race through life, we fail to experience it completely. In that sense, even if we fit more into our day, what we get out of it is much less.
Practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean we will never get distracted. Rather, it means we will become better at identifying when we HAVE gotten distracted and choosing to come back to focus. In the end, it really is just a matter of deciding to fully dedicate your attention and your energy to a single thing at a time. This paradigm shift will help us not only complete our tasks more successfully but also enable us to be fully present in what we are doing. With mindfulness, we are better able to appreciate our feelings, sensations and ideas about the person or task before us. It allows to live more fully and aware.
