Addiction. It’s not something we correlate with multi-tasking. But maybe it should be. Checking tasks off of a list is more than satisfying – it’s dopamine stimulating. No wonder we love multi-tasking. We get a veritable thrill from it. It’s counterproductive, though. The more we multi-task, the less we focus on the task at hand.

Focusing isn’t the only issue. Multi-tasking also causes more stress. Research shows that once we are interrupted from concentrating on one task, it takes almost 30 minutes to return to that task. That’s the opposite of efficient. So while we might get a thrill from multi-tasking, it’s not good for your work, your life, or your health.

Here are some ways to effectively monotask.

 

Shut It Off: Turn off push notifications. Turn down phone volume. Mute Slack notifications. Close your email. Put up your ‘busy’ sign on Skype. Fewer distractions results in better concentration.

 

Acknowledge and Accept: Thoughts whirring around in your mind? Don’t silence them. Acknowledge them, write them down, consider them, and then move on. The objective is not to push thoughts away but to recognize and accept them.

 

Find Focus Tools: You can create focus triggers. Lighting a candle, sipping an intentional cup of coffee, spinning your chair around and closing your eyes for a moment — find a focus trigger and allow it to signal the start of a new task.

 

Set Time Limits: Sometimes we multi-task or allow for distraction simply to avoid a task we don’t want to do. It happens. When these projects arise, set your timer. Commit to working on a project for twenty or thirty minutes or whatever timeline works for you. When that time is up, switch projects.

Monotasking means focusing on one task. One task only. The result is giving one project all of your attention – and it will result in your best possible work. You might not get the same dopamine hit that multi-tasking provides, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you gave all your daily tasks your full attention.