The champions of multitasking, it’s time for prioritising
You don’t have to run to stand still. And yet the mind wonders if at all it’s true. Why do we feel the need to earn to sit down? We call ourselves multitaskers and even wear it as a badge of honour! But can the human mind focus on two things equally at the same time? We do scroll our social media while listening to a podcast. Don’t we? Multitasking helps us do things quicker and better. Is it true? Or maybe it’s a myth!
Multitasking some simple ones
I feel that some tasks are simple enough and two-three things are absolutely fine to be performed at the same time. What’s the point in staring at the kettle while the water boils, right? However, we do deserve a few moments of deliberate non-productivity! As a parent, our days are packed with work. Aren’t they? There are literally thousands of things to do – there is no way we can finish them all if we don’t multitask.
Champions of multitasking
Multitasking feels like an in-built application. How many of you help your children with their homework while cooking food and doing dishes? As mothers, we are the champions of multitasking! Reflecting on it, we have unintentionally spent years on the ‘do it all’ stereotype. As a consequence of that, we may have inadvertently trained our families – especially our children to expect us to leave everything at any given time to immediately be at their service. The crux of the dialogue is not to run around but to arrive at an understanding that there is a certain time when you need to focus on just one thing.
Multitasking helps us do things quicker and better. Or maybe it’s a myth!
Are we getting more done? Or maybe we are getting ‘stress’ as a byproduct of multitasking. According to experts, ‘the term itself is a myth. You are actually ‘switch tasking’. When you are trying to perform multiple attention requiring tasks at the same time, you are actually switching from one task to another. For example, If I would have been listening to a podcast while writing this article at the same time, I would be actually ‘switch’ tasking. I would write a little bit of the article and then get back to the podcast and vice versa. However, it may appear as if it’s my multitasking superpower.
What do I think?
It doesn’t need an expert to say that sometimes while you are multitasking, it takes longer to complete a task, there could be a low standard of work and you get ‘stress’ as a by-product. For example, if you are answering a call while trying to write an email, neither will get a good outcome. I know all that – (Multitasking killing productivity and adding stress). However, being a parent if you can get at least an hour without being interrupted, you get more done. I believe that you can multitask as long as you are not stressed and your family understand when a particular task needs your utmost attention. After all, it’s because of our tuned multitasking brains that even while chauffeuring our kids to school, we can still think and resolve issues while dinosaur songs are at full blast! Because of multitasking, we can sneak in our AirPods while making our babies sleep. You must have done that too! You can even plan a birthday party while swirling your spoon in the dessert pot. As long as you are happy, carry on doing what you are doing. Just have a few moments to yourself where there is deliberate non-productivity!
Much love
Suranjita
