Scientists have known for years that most people aren\u2019t very good at multi-tasking. In fact, although most people think they\u2019re good at it, only about 2% of the population can actually multitask with any sort of real efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason is simple: Every task you do, from checking your email to pouring over a spreadsheet to writing a quarterly report uses a different set of \u201ccognitive resources.\u201d Simply put, the more you try to switch between tasks, the more brain power you burn, and the more fuel you and your brain needs to get the job, or jobs done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, many efficiency experts advocate a strategy of monofocus, which is a fancy way of saying forget multitasking and just focus on one thing at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, there are problems with that too, because excessive focus can begin to work against itself, which ultimately also burns more in the way of cognitive resources and requires more fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if spreading yourself out among tasks isn\u2019t the answer, and focusing on just one thing at a time isn\u2019t the answer either, then how can you be your best, most productive self?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer might surprise you: Alternate between a focused and an unfocused mind. Allowing your mind to wander periodically allows it to rest and recharge, so that when you get back to focus, it\u2019s even better, sharper and clearer than ever, allowing you to get more done, more quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how does one unfocus the mind, exactly? And how can you maximize your focus when you\u2019re ready to get down to business? Here are a few strategies you can employ, starting today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strategies To Maximize Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It turns out that maximizing focus is easy and fairly intuitive. Ultimately, it comes down to setting conditions to cut out the mental clutter. Turn off your phone, or at least set it to silent. Close your email and social media pages so you\u2019re not tempted to \u2018take a quick peek.\u2019 Shut your door if you have one, and even put a Do Not Disturb sign on it if such a thing will be respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line here is that the more of these kinds of things you can do, the less likely you are to be drawn off task by a needless distraction. The trick, of course is to limit the length of time you do this. People who genuinely need something important from you may be trying to contact you, so you don\u2019t want to isolate yourself for more than say, two hours at a stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategies To Encourage Your Mind To Wander<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a bit harder, especially if you\u2019re not already in the habit of doing it. Here, strategies include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of these things may prove to be diabolically difficult for some people to do, but they\u2019re all well worth taking the time to master. You\u2019ll find that you are happier, and when the time comes to get and stay focused, you\u2019ll find that you\u2019re better at that too!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scientists have known for years that most people aren\u2019t very good at multi-tasking. In fact, although most people think they\u2019re good at it, only about 2% of the population can actually multitask with any sort of real efficiency. The reason is simple: Every task you do, from checking your email to pouring over a spreadsheet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-productivity-tips"],"yoast_head":"\n