Multitasking

 

There have been multiple researches that are done in the last decade which says multitasking is no more productive. Although I beg to differ, I am certain everyone has their own methods of working and the meaning of productivity varies for each person. Here is my take on this.

Multitasking at home

Doing multiple tasks at one given point of time is called multitasking. Our mind and brain might not be designed to multitask, but who can't be perfect after practicing? And I strongly believe mothers have this advantage by default. The minute you become a mother, your brain, mind, body and even soul start to multitask before you realize. Isn’t it??

Switching repeatedly back and forth between tasks is multitasking. But isn't it a way of life now? I have a 4 year old kid at home. While I put the vegetables to boil, I played football with her. While I help her color the flower, I have to keep a count on the number of whistles on my cooker. While I fold the clothes, I listen to a podcast. While I arrange my room, I speak to my family on the phone. You may argue that as these are my regular tasks, it doesn't have a mental demand. To be honest, I do these tasks so often now that I don't realize if at all there is a mental demand. But there are some strategies which also can be used in our professional life to make it hassle free.

Multitasking at work

I am pulling a report which is a weekly task for me. I have been doing this task for a while now. I am well-equipped with the steps and can vouch for the numbers I get from these reports. So while pulling this report, I could ping the person from that team from whom I needed some information. I don't see any load on my brain because of this. A call or meeting in which my presence is needed as an optional member, during that session, I can send a chaser email to my team to complete the appraisal. Of course, I can't solve trigonometry and geometry problems at one time, which I had learnt years before. But things that can be multitasked and help me save some time are just a boon for me. I am glad to explore this way of working. It doesn't slow me down.

When it comes to making mistakes while multitasking, human error occurs everywhere, which is why software and AI are created. But that's for another discussion. And I am not asking my four-year-old to multitask as her brain does not understand that. But I see her right now enjoying her favourite bread and Nutella while humming to her favourite rhyme “wheels on the bus”. Isn't it multitasking? Should I stop her?? To close this, I argue that by implementing a few strategies and understanding the importance of the tasks, we can ensure that nothing gets left behind while multitasking.

It is ultimately up to the individual whether or not to multitask. If you can focus and get things done when you're doing multiple things at once, go for it! However, if you feel like you need more time to juggle numerous tasks, focusing on just one at a time is best.

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