We have all heard of multi-tasking and have even tried to take part in it. However, did you know that doing so can be seriously overwhelming? So much so that this could be one of the reasons you get burnt out. Single-tasking is the exact opposite, and all it requires is showing up fully to whatever task you are working on. The irony is, while you are single-tasking, you are also practicing mindfulness.
What is Single-Tasking?
To put it quite simply, single-tasking is the practice of dedicating yourself to a given task and minimizing potential interruptions until the task is completed or a significant period of time has passed. This is not to say that you should work yourself silly until you finish the task – but it should be the only thing you focus on during that period of time.
Why You Should Single-Task
Single-tasking not only allows you to focus and get things done quicker while working on and improving your time-management skills, but it is, ironically, a form of mindfulness!
When you think of “mindfulness”, working or getting a task done is not typically the first thing that comes to mind, but the thing about mindfulness is that you can practice it at just about any given time of the day while doing anything you want. Mindfulness is not – as it is commonly mistaken as – meditating while listening to the calming ambience sounds of the Amazon Rainforest or the trickling and splashing of a waterfall. It is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.
Because you are focusing on one task – and practicing mindfulness in the process – single-tasking actually has the ability to lower your stress levels, in comparison to multi-tasking while your attention is elsewhere. With multi-tasking, simple tasks take longer than they should, throwing off your daily schedule and stressing you out because you fall behind. However, when you solely focus on a single task, you feel less stress and can even enjoy your work!
What Multi-Tasking Actually Does to You
Piling onto the fact that multi-tasking actually prolongs your time of working and can actually completely throw of your daily schedule, multi-tasking can actually cause severe burnout – a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. According to the World Health Organization, it is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from work or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to work; and reduced professional efficacy.
If your brain is trying to manage several tasks at once, it may affect the way you work even when you are attempting to complete a single task, causing it to go into work over-drive and ultimately leaving you exhausted with no motivation to complete the tasks that you actually have to finish on time. To top it all off, multi-tasking can interfere with working memory, cause students and employees to do worse in school and in the workplace, and could possibly even create potentially long-term memory problems.
How to Single-Task
Now that you know multi-tasking is never the way to go, and you have got the basics of single-tasking down to the T, put it into practice! By single-tasking and shifting your focus to that one task and that one task only, you can take part in a precise type of mindfulness technique called mindful participation.
Using the skill of participating means keeping your eyes open to what is going on around you – listening, feeling, and being touched by the things that matter. While considering the concept of single-tasking, this may look like paying attention to what you are doing, how it feels to be doing it, as well as acknowledging any other senses that come into play.