Multitasking against productivity: how not to harm the brain

How many of your open tabs in a browser? Right now? I think more than ten. Perhaps twenty. Some need to research some help to stay in touch with colleagues and clients, something open to entertainment, while no one sees. No matter why you need these tabs - they still did not help. We can not just sit down and do one thing. I confess that I myself, while writing this post, check your mail and respond to tweets.

switching between thousands of tasks, We feel that we do not have a second to rest. And then I think that today was another bad day: we were terribly busy and did not have time to do. However, the evening is no better. We eat, looking at the TV, read a book, listening to the radio. Who prevents just sit down and focus on something one?

We are constantly distracted from the main objective, which is in itself a bad thing. But now there is also a proof that multitasking is bad for our brain. Sounds scary. It seems it is time to try to work in a different mode.

Why are we doing everything at the same time

Which begs the answer? Because otherwise it is impossible.

Technology invented to make life simple and fast. Smartphones, like a Swiss Army Knives, doing everything and in all fields: from drawing up plans for the weekend to tune your guitar. When each step is thought up your application, it is difficult not to use them every second. I went to the supermarket? Why not make a shopping list, listening to the popular podcast? You go to have dinner with friends? Post it to Facebook, to someone else pulled!

What science says

Science knows why we love to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Why is it nice

Our own brain deceives us! Because he likes when we supposedly occupied by the throat. research showThat multitasking leads to the release of dopamine, the hormone of happiness. We should get a reward for their hard work!

We, as magpies, easily distracted by everything new, bright and shiny. And that most affected part of the brain responsible for concentration.

Centers are responsible for obtaining pleasure, are activated when we switch between tasks. One has only to look at the new letter to the inbox, notification on the social network - a small dose of the hormone of pleasure immediately enters the blood. Of course, in such conditions it is easy to be distracted.

Why is that bad

Because it provokes stress. Proved that multitasking - cause increased production of another substance, cortisol, a stress hormone which affect on everything from mental health to muscle density. If you often are distracted, you can say goodbye to the cubes on the press, earned with such difficulty. I do not like the prospect? You can in fact do not answer all of these messages, that's all?

No, this is not enough. scientists establishedThat the possibility to go in multitasking prevents cope with the chores and reduces IQ by about 10 points. Did you know that you have unread messages, it means that your productivity has declined.

To understand the magnitude of the consequences, consider just one example. It is known that vegetable drugs reduce mental abilities. So, the negative impact of multitasking on the cognitive function of the brain, even stronger.

Caesar could, therefore, I can

If you work constantly switching from one case to another, you can develop the habit and become an expert at multi-tasking issue. And learn how to filter all the information at once, in order to become productive genius. Which of the two statements is correct?

Neither one. researchers suggestThat "mnogostanochnik" much worse oriented in the data stream and can not readily distinguish important information from the garbage. There are a couple of specific examples of people who can do everything at once, but this is an exception rather than the rule.

What distracts us most

What often causes us to break away from work?

For me, the greatest evil - an endless stream of new messages. I think with that many face. Friends and colleagues also complained about incoming. We believe that the need to respond to all emails, but if you do it, then no matter what other time does not remain.

Messages are so firmly built into the workflow that many are fixated on the fact that in the incoming was not unread messages folder. And when the counter indicates zero, there is a feeling that we have found the Holy Grail of the digital world.

No matter how many new messages in the inbox may be, they hinder us. And that's why:

1. Expect from us an instant response

To write and send an answer, you need to spend time. You do not have to answer this very second, you can easily put off a letter to a point where you are ready to deal with it.

We are always in range. We came out of the office? So what, you can also check your emails with your smartphone or tablet. What could prevent it?

Public expectations dictate that we should respond. We do not want to upset the sender. I use plug-in for Mail, which allows you to see when recipients open my messages. Although I oppose an immediate response to the post office, it is difficult to get rid of irritation when someone reads the letter, but not in a hurry to answer.

2. Anyone can write

It is unlikely that you send a snail mail letter to a person who does not know.

But our approach to electronic communications other. We do not hesitate to find out someone's email in any ways. When we get it, the hunting season can be considered open. E-mail messages are so impersonal that we can send hundreds of letters to complete strangers.

Boxes filled with "cold" messages. We lose precious minutes trying to filter them by sending the archives and into the basket. Most of all upsets me that people who send such mailings, almost not receive a response to them. It makes no sense to send letters and with a hint of personalization, they are people, too, are removed without reading.

3. Letters are forced to take immediate decisions

As long as we wade through the letter, we have to make many decisions, and this process is strongly loads a brain. Throwing all their forces to the constant change of the objects of attention, we spend energy and fuel for the brain mad, and then feel tired and exhausted.

Even popular applications for letters of administration, designed to keep you from spending time on parse mail, not eliminate the need for all the time to decide whether to answer now, or defer to tomorrow?

How to stop losing time and become more productive

If you wait for me a universal council, which immediately solve all the problems, then I have to disappoint you. Ready-made solution is not, but there is a tactic that should be followed to avoid multitasking and become more productive.

1. Plans to do in the evening

I have not revealed to you America, but this method works. Ten minutes spent in the evening to draw up a list of the main tasks for the next day, helping to focus on the job.

List the things that you need to certainly finish tomorrow, and start to check your mail and messages only once fulfilled all the items from the list.

2. Use the "tomato" time management techniques

I use myself this methodVery pleased with it. This time management technique, proposed Italian Francesco Ciri at the end of the 1980s.

Divide your time into several 25-minute periods of intense, hard work, between which must be five-minute rest. The method is based on the hypothesis that frequent breaks stimulate mental activity.

I use a length of 25 minutes to cope with basic tasks, scheduled in the evening. And during the break I switch to the analysis and verification of mail alerts.

We strongly recommend giving this procedure the green light. You can even buy a fun timer in the form of tomato to measure periods of activity and rest.

3. Take the time to address a special schedule

I myself use it in other ways, but many experts advise to be provided in a separate schedule time for sorting mail.

Highlight a line in the diary to devote part of the day reading emails, responses to tweets and posts, and open the mail only at this time. Turn off notifications on your phone and in the browser in order to adhere to this rule, even if you are afraid of accidentally skip an urgent letter.

results

I blame the fact that we have so many things to perform simultaneously. Force yourself to ignore the incoming message and stop jumping from one case to another - not an easy task.

Every message that we send, helps to have a happy hormones spoonful and gives a feeling of satisfaction, when it seems that we are organized and responsible. The truth is different: we are simply distracted from the important things.

It is very difficult to stop. But I like to concentrate only on work. Try one of the ways that I recommended, and compare your productivity before and after.

P. S. You can listen to music

Do not worry, iTunes will not have to close! For listening to music, meet other areas of the brain, its activity does not interfere with your work, then, did not reduce productivity.

What do you not to be distracted by little things?