How To Improve Your Multitasking Abilities?
Multitasking can be a necessary skill to learn that can help us in a wide variety of aspects in our lives. It can help us handle different tasks at once, and also efficiently manage our time. It can also help to improve our career and aid us in a wide range of business functions.
However, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and tired when balancing different tasks at once. We also tend to make several mistakes in doing so. Thus, how do we improve our multitasking skills so that our life becomes more productive and useful?
Read on to find out expert tips that can help you improve your multitasking abilities.
What is multitasking?
We all are familiar with the term multitasking. It is basically the act of balancing or juggling two or more activities at the same point of time. However, according to a report published by MIT, it is virtually impossible to focus on two tasks at the same time, as the human brain is incapable of doing so.
Thus, multitasking can be aptly defined as quickly switching focus between different activities, so that it can seem like you are working on two things simultaneously.
We all at some point in our lives consciously or unconsciously exert our multitasking skills. Especially in modern times when life has become so fast and hectic, individuals are facing an influx of duties and tasks, along with encountering various distractions and challenges in the process.
However, regardless of the tasks you are performing, multitasking can be a core skill or trait that helps in personal development, and also is a favourable trait seen by employers worldwide.
Benefits of multitasking
There is a common prevalent notion that not focusing on the job at hand can lead to a poor outcome. However, if done in the right way, multitasking can be a great tool to get things done quickly, simultaneously and effectively.
For example, if you are writing an assignment, and are also in a work-related meeting online, you can effectively multitask to simultaneously write your assignment, as well as keep an eye out for important announcements in the meeting.
This helps to improve your writing skills and also improves your concentration levels.
Below, let’s have a look at some of the benefits that multitasking can offer.
- Saves time
When you multitask, you get to do things concurrently. This helps you save an immense amount of time, that would have otherwise been spent in carrying out other tasks.
- Saves money
Multitasking can help you save money as an employer, when you hire an individual who can multitask and get more things done in the same amount of time, compared to someone who would work on each project separately.
- Increases your productivity
It helps to increase your productivity levels as you get to accomplish more in a short amount of time. The more amount of work you get done the more productive your day becomes.
- Reduces procrastination
Multitasking helps you become more accomplished as you get to complete different tasks at once. This bolsters your motivation and encourages you to keep working on pending tasks.
Now that you know what advantages multitasking can have in store for you, let’s take a look at some expert tips that can help increase your multitasking abilities.
Expert tips to improve your multitasking abilities
Whether you just can’t concentrate on two things at once or are a pro at multitasking, these tips down below will surely help you get your multitasking game on.
- Set realistic goals for yourself
Trying to complete too much work at once can lead to unnecessary worry and stress. Thus, it is better that we separate our tasks into small pieces, which will be easier for you to multitask on. You can also try to multitask on related tasks together at first, as it helps to build your multitasking abilities.
For example, if you are solving an assignment and need to avail of study help by checking out research papers online, instead of writing down notes and then writing your answers, you can try to read the answers from the screen itself and write them down. Although this is a basic multitasking ability, it helps you get prepared for more rigorous tasks later.
- Increase your concentration levels
Ask any multitasking expert and they will tell you the secret is concentration. Concentration is essential to multitasking. People who can multitask effortlessly are able to concentrate entirely on the task at hand. Below, are some tips for increasing your concentration power.
- Try meditation
- Practice yoga
- Work on increasing your willpower
- Take notes when you read something
These minute tips will help increase your concentration power, making you multitask more effectively in the future.
- Avoid distractions
Too much external disturbances and stimulation can hamper our multitasking abilities. This is why too much distractions while multitasking is bad. Next time you want to try your multitasking abilities, make sure that you have minimal distractions around you.
You can try listening to music if you are in your workplace. You can also try muting your phone and disabling notifications on your computer. This will help you focus more on the tasks at hand and minimize any external disturbances that can occur.
- Write stuff down
Writing helps us remember better than just simply trying to memorise it. For example, if you are multitasking and trying to think of a list, the chances are that you are going to forget one or more items in them. Thus, instead of leaving everything to your memory, try to write important things down. This helps you easily remember them at a glance.
You can try using online lists makers or even write down notes manually on a piece of paper. You can also make use of sticky notes to create lists that you can conveniently paste them on your desk, or at a place that you can view easily.
- Practice makes perfect
The more you multitask, the better you get at it. This is why it is advisable to start multitasking with some basic tasks, and slowly build your skills, as you start to handle more difficult chores.
Practice is the best way to build up on your multitasking skills and also allows you to improve your focus and concentration levels as well. Thus, make sure that you practice multitasking at least once a day to become a pro in it.
Final thoughts
Effective multitasking can increase your productivity levels and also help you get more things done on a daily basis. However, just like any other skill it takes immense practice and dedication to master it. With these tips above, learning how to multitask can now be a breeze for you.
Author Bio
Peter Cavill is a retired professor of English Language at a reputed university in the US. He loves creating informative blogs and articles for students that can help them develop important life skills. He is also associated with Assignmenthelp.us as an assignment expert and loves guiding young minds with their studies.
