I had no idea. Did you know multitasking could cause you to feel tired and adversely affect the quality of your sleep? Yes, the frequent use and interruption caused by digital media tools can raise your level of stress, leading to increased levels of fatigue, impact the quality of your sleep, and zap you of vital energy.
Research has found that multitasking boosts the levels of stress-related hormones and wears down your systems. The research further found multitasking causes premature aging. One researcher wrote, “In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy.” Why? Because the human brain simply does not function effectively and efficiently when you split your focus and constantly switch between assignments or projects.
How do you raise your level of performance and your health?
- Maintain a list of your most important assignments and projects.
- Prioritize them based on importance and due date.
- Schedule 30 to 90 minutes of uninterrupted time to work on them.
- Take a 5 to 15 minute break between each work session.
- Turn off your email, text message notifications, and unnecessary windows on your computer so they will not interrupt you.
- Schedule specific times of day to respond to emails and requests.
Put these strategies to work and you will feel better and the quality of your work will improve. You might even avoid premature aging. Make it a priority-focused day.
What's your best tip for maintaining focus?