What To Expect?
In today’s article, how multitasking can stop you from entering the zone will discuss the effects multitasking can have on the brain. The main point of the article will be how multitasking can stop you from entering the zone. Also understanding that focusing on one task at a time greatly benefits your performance. As well as learning how to get out of the multitasking habit.
Why Multitasking Isn’t Always Good For The Brain
The common saying is that women are better at multitasking than men. This has actually been confirmed to be true by a recent study in the UK. Of course, this doesn’t mean all men can’t multitask. But what the study did show is that multitasking can be beneficial in certain areas of life but more difficult in others.
Cited on Inc.com, MIT neuroscientist Earl Miller explained that our brains “are not wired to multitask well… when people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly. And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost.”
You Have To Focus On One Task
When it comes to focusing, multi-tasking can be the enemy that takes you away from what you are currently focusing on. In real life, it can lead to damaging effects. For example, if your driving and you turn your attention away from your driving to look at your phone or tell the children off in the back seat. It can lead to crashes and the death of other people.
Our brain is just a muscle and it can only do what it was designed to do. So multitasking on minimal things is no problem but multitasking on things that matter just gets in the way. For example, try writing and then looking at your phone, then talking to someone. When you look back either nothing has been written or you’re going at a snail pace.
For the brain to truly function on a task with 100% intention you can not multitask. It just doesn’t work to its best ability. When you find your mind truly clear of distraction you will enter the zone of the mind where everything becomes easy and flowing. This is because the brain is fully engaged in one singular task.
Of course, our brains are adapting, thinking of ideas but it has to be solely for the benefit and purpose of what you’re doing.
This is Your Brain on Multitasking
Studies within neuroscience found trying to multitask actually changes the way your brain works. When you focus your attention on something, it activates the part of your mind’s motivational system: the prefrontal cortex, which wraps around the front of your brain.
When you’re focused, both the left and right sides of the prefrontal cortex work in tandem. But when you multitask, they attempt to work independently. Even though it feels like you’re doing two things simultaneously, you’re actually switching between the two sides of your prefrontal cortex. This switch takes a fraction of a second, but those microseconds add up: it actually takes you up to 40% longer to complete the same tasks than if you were to tackle them separately.
Not only that, switching between tasks drains your cognitive resources, making you more prone to mistakes. Your working memory, which is responsible for reasoning, decision making, and learning ability, has a limited capacity. It’s like a muscle that can only lift so much weight and do so many reps before it needs to rest and recover.
How To Get Out Of The Bad Habit Of Multitasking
1. Get Rid Of All Distractions
What stops us from getting in the zone is defiantly modern distractions, like phone, email and social media. You know what distracts you the most and what you find hard to resist. So whenever you are doing something that needs your full attention. Put the distraction as far away from you so they can’t be reached.
2. Listen To Music
Now, this isn’t the top 40 chart, this is music that plays in the background preferably with headphones that focuses your mind. For me, it’s anything that’s calm instrumental with the peaceful piano being my favourite for entering my writing zone.
3. A To-do-list & A Clear Schedule
Knowing what you need to do in your day and when to do it can fend off the multitasking mind. A To-do-list & a clear schedule helps to focus the mind on the singular task at different parts of the day. This makes it a lot easier to enter a zone state for each task you have. When you don’t know what to do this quickly allows the mind to wander to other tasks.
4. Learn To Say No
Always being at someone’s beck and call stops you from entering the zone and leads to multi-tasking their every need rather than focusing on what you want. So when it’s time for you to get in the zone. Have expectations with people of what you expect and quickly say no to them unless it’s an emergency.
5. Know When It’s Zone Time
Everyone has a part of the day that they feel at their mental and physical best. Mine is the morning and this is the time that I use all the above points to create a space where I can get my best work done. Creating that time for yourself limits multitasking and allows the focus to form and the zone door to open.
Over To You
I hope you enjoyed today article, How multitasking can stop you from entering the zone.
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