Multitasking seems like a must to keep up with your workload and the everyday demands of your life. This can be especially true if you work from home because you are constantly exposed to the needs of both your work and home life. There are many common misconceptions about the effectiveness of multitasking while working. Here are some of the common myths about multitasking:
Feeling Accomplishment Means You’re Making Progress
This is a powerful myth. Multitasking often gives a false sense of accomplishment, leading you to believe that you are getting a lot done, even if this isn’t true. One way to make sure your getting quality work done instead of falling for a false sense of accomplishment is to focus on one project at a time. Give all your effort and concentration to a singular project and complete it before shifting to a new project.
Switching Tasks Saves Energy
Believing this myth can waste a lot of your time and, ironically, your energy. When you switch between two different tasks, it takes your brain time to adjust to the new task. This causes a delay in your work and a drop in productivity every time you choose to shift tasks. Even taking a short glance at your inbox while working on another task can greatly slow down your brain’s momentum. A good remedy for this is to minimize the number of times you have to shift between different tasks by staying focused on one task as long as possible.
Multitasking Has No Effect on Work Quality
For some work tasks, this may be true. There may be mindless tasks at your work that can be accomplished effectively while multitasking. However, most projects that require complex thought cannot be done as well while multitasking. For projects that require a lot of thought, make sure to set aside a specific time to carry them out to avoid multitasking.
Think about these things next time you are tempted to multitask to help you to become a more effective and efficient worker.