The Surprise of Monotasking

Source: Christina Wocintechchat/Unsplash

I burned the top of my hand on the oven rack this week when pulling out a baked potato while looking at a text from my mother.

The burn looks like South Carolina and it isn’t the first time I’ve gotten myself into trouble by doing too much at one time.

Years ago I wrote about the dangers of multitasking and called on research that explained while most of us think we are fabulous multi-taskers, we are not. Only a little more than two percent of the 200 people studied proved to be Supertaskers, able to perform multiple tasks at a time without the error and stress that others experience.

While most of us believe—and I am raising my hand here—that we are Supertaskers, we sadly are not. That doesn’t keep us from trying. And certainly, some tasks like folding laundry while watching television can work; others like texting and driving can be catastrophic.

The few seconds it takes to toggle between tasks increases cortisol and stress levels, doubles the errors, and can reduce our productivity by up to forty percent, according to an older study led by Joshua Rubenstein, PhD, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

Yet, multitasking creates this frenetic energy that leaves us feeling like we are getting a lot done. It's an illusion.

The Monotasking Bias

Monotasking, which requires us to focus on doing one thing at a time, seems so slow by comparison. Of course, we’ll have fewer errors that we need to go back and correct and a lot less stress, which means we'll likely get more done. But, first, we have to overcome our mental bias that frantically doing more means we are completing more tasks. That’s not the case.

For example, it felt like I spent hours writing the first draft of this article. It was all I was doing. I’d left the phone off in the other room, closed my door to keep people from dropping by, and challenged myself to do this one thing until the first draft was done. It was excruciating. Progress felt glacial and I caught myself bouncing and leaning back and forth in my seat. But, I stayed in the chair and wrote.

When I finished, I looked at the clock. The whole draft complete with some bookmarked research had taken less than 35 minutes and the draft was a lot cleaner than it is when I'm messing with my phone or getting up to check on the dog.

Practicing the Monotask

In a world filled with distractions that swarm at us literally at the speed of light, there’s no denying that we lose hours each day by bouncing between tasks. I could spend that time reading, chilling with my daughter, or working on the book project. Those are hours I could spend doing something more meaningful.

When I deliberately worked on one thing at a time, I felt more energized, less stressed, and depleted by the end.

Monotasking was a relief and left me feeling more relaxed and accomplished.

I’m still working on monotasking. After years as a rabid and proud multitasker, I have to practice. But here are a few strategies that help me stay on task. They might help you too.

Lighten the Load

When I sit down to work on a specific assignment, that job becomes my only priority. I narrow my to-do list to the one or two things that must be accomplished. And I do those first. Once those are completed, I look at what's next.

Move Away From Other Media

I leave my phone in a different room and close down all social media when I monotask. One job. One application, and it's usually my word processing program.

Set a Timer

Knowing that I had a break coming a la Pomodoro Method made it easier to focus. Set a timer, go for the allotted time, then take a break.

Prime Yourself

Before starting, prepare your mind and assignment, get a clear view of what needs to happen, set up your program or tools, take a few deep breaths, and get to work in the same space every day. Repeating the same steps each day before you tackle your priority tasks is a ritual that sends the signals to your body and brain that you are ready to work.

And if monotasking still feels tough, and some days it does for me, keep a notebook and pen nearby. When your thoughts are wild and competing for your attention while monotasking, it helps to jot them down in a notebook. By “catching” these ideas and to-dos in my notebook, I can return to my focus on the work without worrying that I'll forget them.

Productivity Essential Reads

The Dangers of Confusing Activity With Productivity

12 Simple Ways to Increase Your Productivity

Is using the notebook pure monotasking? No, but it keeps me from picking up my phone and squirreling away my time online.