The ability to focus on one task will make you more productive

Do one thing at a time, without distracting more than anything - that's the secret of this production. How to get rid of dozens of tabs in the browser, focus on working affairs and go in single-tasking mode? His secrets divided Kevan Lee (Kevan Lee), copywriter company Buffer.

How many tabs in the browser you have open right now? While I was writing this post, I had 18 open tabs. I wish I could say that all of them are necessary for the research topic, but the couple fell exactly into the black hole of YouTube. Common situation?

We all love to open the tabs one by one, by following the links in articles on other sites or materials. And rather quickly we forget why is Internet access.

Browser tabs can be considered a test of multitasking. The more tabs you have open, the more you multitask, and the farther you are from the real productivity. The same applies to everything else that distracts you from the main goal. Do several different things at once - this is the recipe for inefficiency. Fortunately, there are a few fun ways to experiment with single-tasking - as in your browser, and beyond.

3 seconds distraction entail 2 times more mistakes

The researchers tested 300 students of the University of Michigan's ability to persist in passing a computerized test, despite the distractions. Noise was constant pop-ups, in which it was necessary to enter the code. One such distraction window for a period of from 2.8 to 4.4 seconds.

After a break for 2.8 seconds, students made twice as many mistakes than usual. After a break of 4.4 seconds - 4 times larger.

Experiments like this and mountains of scientific studies confirm that multitasking leads to decreased productivity, accuracy and efficiency. And here are just a few examples:

• The Ohio State University examined, what is the mediamnogozadachnost. For example, as people absorb information by reading a book while watching tv. Cognitive results were low, and in order for the other case. But we continue to do them all at once, simply because experiencing emotional lift during this session.
• A group of psychologists from Harvard University, University of North Carolina and the Higher Commercial School of Paris (HEC) found that those who spend time thinking of another object, as a result of more productive in the work on the follow.
• Professor David Strayer (David Strayer) from the University of Utah confirmedThat talking on the phone while driving (one of the most common forms of multi-tasking) is as dangerous as driving a car while intoxicated. The reaction and the driver are reduced so that they do not notice what is commonly seen: billboards and pedestrians.

And yet, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that doing more than one thing at a time wasted, we continue to multitask.

Statistics from statistic Brain shows how it has become difficult to hold the attention.

• The average span of human attention - 8 seconds.
• The attention span of a gold fish aquarium - 9 seconds.
• 7% of people forget about their own birthday party from time to time.
• Office worker checks incoming mail on an average of 30 times per hour.

Single-tasking is one thing, no distractions

What is a single-tasking, it is clear from the title. Single-tasking - it is to do one thing at a time, with the least amount of distractions and interruptions.

To become a "odnozadachnikom" need to make two important changes to your lifestyle.

First, you learn to respond to the request. You alone decide when and what notifications you come to the phone and in the browser, and not get notified in real-time. You live according to their own rules, and are not in constant dependence on the Internet. Due to this you are less distracted.

Second, get rid of everything unnecessary, including from things. according to the concept minimalismAs you restore order, not only in their own things, but also in their thoughts. Minimalism - a tool that allows you to protect themselves from the excesses in favor of what really matters, thus helping you to find happiness, satisfaction and independence.

If you combine these approaches, the result is a single-tasking.

Also, single-tasking - it is the opposite of multitasking. You do not open immediately a dozen tabs in the browser, do not check email every 10 minutes, do not keep the chat window permanently open on the desktop.

Single-tasking - it is one thing at a time, at run time you are not distracted by anything.

Odnovkladochnost: one tab at a time, no more

At the beginning of this article I mentioned a tendency to open a lot of tabs at once, so it is logical to start talking about single-tasking with the issue of browser tabs.

During the browser session keep open only one tab.

It seems unreal? Probably, it will be a difficult task if you are going to move from a dozen tabs to a single. Maybe it will be easier to move towards that goal in small steps.

James Hamblin (James Hamblin) from The Atlantic advises to choose one day a week to use only one tab open at a time. he prefers to Thursday.

Buffer co-founder Leo Vidrich (Leo Widrich) also enjoys the rule of a single tab, which also helps him to work with list of tasks. Leo writes on the eve of the things you need to do the next day, setting priorities and respectively of the plan of individual browser tabs, which will help him to cope with tasks.

If you need a little push - well, let it be large - you can install a browser extension that allows you to set a limit on the number of open tabs. extensions like xTab close tabs once you reach a certain threshold. For example, if you set the limit to 10 tabs, then when you open the eleventh, automatically closes the first ever. With what limit you would be comfortable right now?

9 more tips for the transition to a single-tasking

One tab at a time - interesting, but not the only way to try a single-tasking. We offer 9 more simple guidelines.

1. Try the technique Pomodoro. Focus on one task for 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break. Although the time periods can be adjusted in accordance with the features work. The bottom line is that you focus your attention just as much as allows your brain, and then a little rest in silence, before returning to work.
2. Put your phone in silent mode. Or turn it off. Or forget at home.
3. Close the email.
4. Keep a list of tasks.
5. Turn off notifications from applications on the phone and in the browser.
6. Install Freedom - a service that would block distracting websites on the period of time that you specify. For example, if you can not resist the temptation to constantly check Facebook, lock it in the next 25 minutes and even then proceed to implement the workload.
7. Write in a minimalist text editors. Choose to your taste: OmmWriter, Monospace, Paragraphs, A5.
8. Work with multiple monitors or desktops. Place all of the entertainment and what distracts you, on one screen, and what you need for focused work, - on the other.
9. At the end of the day remove all files from the desktop. Less clutter, more focus.

Although this is only a small step on the road to a single-tasking, they are bearing fruit: you become productive, to restore order in their own tabs, bring each task to the end, before moving on to next.