You’ve heard about multitasking, but have you heard of monotasking? Learn how to implement this approach to accomplish your goals more efficiently.
Monotasking is a technique in which you concentrate on one thing at a time without allowing other things or distractions to take your attention away. It means giving the task at hand your whole attention without moving to another task or allowing anything else to distract you.
The opposite of monotasking is multitasking – which can be less successful and also more stressful. Therefore, monotasking has been viewed as an alternative that lets you be more productive, experience less stress, and produce better outcomes.
But how do you start monotasking in this world of seemingly endless distractions? We’ll explain how with a simple step-by-step guide to make things easier for you.
Specific Steps to Start Monotasking
It can be difficult for your brain to make the switch to this method, particularly if you’re used to multitasking. In order to start monotasking, practice the following steps:
- Select your priorities: Make a list of the things you have to do and rank them in order of priority and urgency. Write down your goals in detail and give each activity a time frame.
- Cut out distractions: Find out what distracts you and remove it from your surroundings. Examples of this can be closing unused internet tabs, turning off notifications on your phone, or finding a quiet workspace.
- Practice mindfulness: Become more attentive to your actions and thoughts by practicing mindfulness. Bring your attention back to the task at hand whenever your thoughts are drifting or you are getting distracted.
- Use a timer: Use a timer to keep yourself on track when working on a project. A famous time-management strategy that works well for monotasking is the Pomodoro Method. When you follow the Pomodoro Method, you divide your workday into 25-minute intervals called “pomodoros”. After each pomodoro, you get to take a little break; after four pomodoros, you can take a longer break. This method can gradually increase your productivity and can help you to stay focused.
- Take breaks: To give your brain a rest, it’s crucial to take breaks throughout the day. To refresh your energy and concentration, take brief breaks every now and then. There are some great apps and tools that you can utilize for this, e.g. the “Pomodoro timer“, “Focus@Will” or “Forest“.
- Do it all again: It takes time and repetition to implement the habits of monotasking. Repeat this step-by-step guide until it becomes completely natural.
Keep in mind that monotasking is about working more efficiently and not about working harder. You may be more productive, experience less stress, and produce better outcomes by concentrating on one activity at a time.
Benefits of Monotasking
There’s a reason this method has caught on – some of the benefits of monotasking may even surprise you.
- Better work quality: You may produce work that is higher quality, more accurate, or error-free by giving each assignment your total concentration.
- Stress reduction: By avoiding the overload and distractions that occur with multitasking, monotasking reduces stress. You may operate more quietly and attentively as a result.
- Better time management: By prioritizing things and carrying them out in order of importance, monotasking enables you to manage your time better.
- Improved efficiency: You may work more effectively and finish things more quickly by concentrating on one job at a time.
Many studies have found that multitasking harms your everyday life and performance at home, work, and school. One 2019 study published in the brain science journal Cerebrum found that switching between activities not only reduces accuracy and speed but also ‘taxes’ the brain, which is working overtime to complete several tasks.
Giving your brain a breather in an extremely busy world through monotasking can only be a good thing, as research on the adverse impacts of multitasking develops. By focusing on one thing at a time, you can save time, lower stress, and complete tasks better.
Read more:
- How to Improve Concentration: 10 Ways to Focus Better
- Sitting Position: 12 Tips for Proper Posture
- How a Digital Detox Can Cure Your Technology Addiction
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