How to avoid multitasking and be more productive

How To Avoid Multitasking And Be More Productive digitalbloggers.com /business/how-to-avoid-multitasking-and-be-more-productive May 29, 2017 51 views Written by Sergei VanBellinghen

Author Sergei VanBellinghen

Articles written: 140 Joined: 23 September 2016 Niche: Internet and Businesses Online Reference and Education Self Improvement

In this age of haste and hustle, there is so much on our plates that most of us do not know how to avoid multitasking and how to be more productive. As a result, we are overwhelmed by all the things we have to do and the scarce time we have to do them. So how do we get around such a lifestyle?

Each day, you are switching back and forth between various activities, getting bombarded with an excess of emails or phone notifications and trying to handle many tasks all at once. Multitasking has become a common slogan, both 1/4

in the household and the workplace.

Unlike any generations before, ‘Nonstop’ is the lifestyle these days. But whatever you believe, your brain is unable to do or focus on numerous tasks at once. It is just impossible! You may think you are, but the fact is that your brain is just jumping from one job to another, only focusing on it for a short instant.

Multitasks are never-ending interruptions which in turn gives you a higher level of stress. Doing multiple things at once creates a mental overload, and it numbs your brain’s faculties as well as your reaction times.

You need to realize that your brain cannot multitask, and even worse, it can get damaged when you try to force it to do so. Anyway, when you do, it then takes the role of counter-productivity.

Why Multitasking is a Bad Thing Multitasking is a bad thing because it makes you less efficient, due to the necessity to shift gears for each different task, and then change back again. Multitasking creates complications, and therefore more mistakes, pressure, and stress.

When your mind gets overwhelmed, you allow stress to take over; you then have difficulties in being more productive by not being able to solve problems, focus, or make plans. Being swamped is a dangerous situation because it is a sign that the demands you make on yourself are exceeding your ability to cope with them.

When you think yourself like you are overwhelmed and cannot cope, you feel as if you were out of control. This powerless feeling hits the switch and activates your stress response, as well as the doubts, fears, and anxieties you were not expecting.

Multitasks can make you nuts, and in this crazy world, it is always good to find and have a small haven of stability and calm. So how do you avoid multitasking and become more productive?

Watch this very short video on how to stop multitasking and start doing one thing at a time.

Managing Constant Barrages Since you have the capacity to take action and change things, managing constant barrages in your way brings you back a sense of control. You do not have to deal anymore with being overwhelmed by everything and everyone getting piled on.

The constant interruptions of phone notifications and email do not have any effect on you any longer, but rather you are the one calling the tune. The more control you get, the less stress you have. Your self-confidence can then rise to handle whatever comes your way.

Multitasking forms and adds without limitations and disrupts your ways to work more productively and produces much less balance in your life. Even the toughest people can quickly turn motivation into burnout when they are doing more than they can do.

Remember also that similar duties do not make multitasking easier. I mean, if you enjoy doing an important thing with the music on, it is most likely that you will accomplish it slower than if there are no singing to sidetrack you from what you are doing.

How to Be More Productive The way to be more productive is to change your thought process and the habits that drive your actions. It means creating a different story rather than accepting false beliefs by repeating them too often. Your subconscious is a 2/4

powerful weapon.

You need to counteract these wrong principles. You should get rid of any negative self-thoughts or verbal language which causes a stress response. Remind yourself that you have managed in the past and you can handle it now.

The pressure of time is also an enemy at the gates which makes you think that everything is urgent and must be done here and now. You have to set your priorities with the most important tasks first, in the morning.

Take a breath and on the evening before going to bed, write a plan of action because constant activity makes the 'all ball of wax' appear like an emergency.

Being busy is not the same thing as being productive.

Tips to Avoid Multitasking Below are some tips on how to avoid multitasking and begin your tasks in a more productive manner which will provide you with a more organized approach.

Plan your day the night before. Give timeframes for each task. Allow also a time in case of any urgent things that may come up.

Differentiate tasks by order of importance. Begin with what is important, what is not so urgent and what can be done at any time such as errands, chores, cleaning, etc.

Work on your most important task first thing in the morning. Do not look or do anything else until it is done.

Take a small break. Then begin your next important task. Believe me, by doing this the rest of the day will be like a walk in the park.

Focus only on one task at a time, and try to get it done without thinking or worrying about other things.

Have a paper notebook in reach. You can use it for instant notes on what needs to be done.

As you work on a task, turn off all other distractions. Shut off email notifications. Turn Off your cell phone if you have the power to do so or if possible, try not to answer it. Find ways to make it easy for you.

When you feel like checking your phone or shift to another task, you should stop and breathe deeply. Realign your focus to the task at hand. If some stuff comes in while you are working, add it to your notes and get back to where you were.

Between completed necessary tasks, look at your notes and see if you need to modify your schedule with anything that came up. Check your email and social media at regular times in the afternoon or at predetermined times.

Take short breaks now and then. Stretch and go outside for a few minutes, and appreciate the beauty around you.

If you have to do two things at once, try to complement assignments that are not similar, like reading while on a stationary bike.

Make at least one task something you do on the same day or at certain times. It allows you to fit other duties by alternating them into an already established pattern.

You know that if you repeat something over and over in the same order and way, it becomes a habit. You get better each time, thus becoming more productive, which avoids multitasking and wasting time.

3/4

Sergei VanBellinghen, Founder & CEO of First-Class Lifestyle and sergeivanbellinghen.com, Success & Self-Improvement Expert, Freedom entrepreneur & business partner of Stuart Ross, also counselor in East Europe-West relationships, a passionate Globetrotter and an avid audio booker

4/4