How to Avoid Multitasking and Become More Productive? – Many people relate multitasking to high productivity. For this reason, you’ll see “I’m good at multitasking” in almost every other resume nowadays. And while multitasking can be effective when tackling tasks that don’t require deep focus, it can be devastating to your productivity in the long run. Here are some convincing reasons why you should avoid multitasking and find more effective ways to boost productivity.

First, numerous studies showed that people who need to juggle several different tasks at the same time and shift their attention from one thing to another frequently perform poorly at memory tests. Furthermore, you may feel you’re getting more things done by multitasking, however, it will diminish your cognitive performance, preventing you from performing well on more demanding tasks that require research or studying.

All these facts prove that you need to abandon the misconception that multitasking will do wonders for your productivity and find new ways to tackle your tasks efficiently.

Focus on One Task at a Time

We’ve already mentioned that staying focused on a specific task until you finish it may produce high-quality work in a short amount of time. The number of open tabs on your computer may be an obvious indicator that you’re trying to multitask.

So, try closing those tabs that you don’t need to finish the current task. Don’t worry, the world won’t end if you don’t check your email every 10 minutes. By concentrating deeply on a single task, you’ll be able to come up with effective solutions, while avoiding minor distractions that may interrupt your workflow.

Set Specific Time of Day to Tackle Minor Tasks

When you’re “addicted” to multitasking, organizing your time can be quite challenging. Here is where quality monitoring software for employees may come in handy. Namely this advanced digital tool will track all computer activities, giving you a clear picture of the way you spend time at work. By using an employee monitoring solution, you’ll find out when you’re most focused and productive during your day, allowing you to organize your workload better.

For example, if the data show that you’re most efficient in the morning, try handling tasks that require deep focus then, leaving minor tasks like answering emails for later. Once you organize your workday in this way, everything will run much smoother, without the need for multitasking.

Try to Resist Various Distractions

It is a well-known fact that numerous notifications popping up on a smartphone or computer screen will ruin your focus, leaving you frustrated and unproductive. You can turn off notifications from various apps and websites during work hours, but you’ll still be attracted to numerous online distractions that are all around us. However, if you use employee productivity and time tracker to monitor online activities, you’ll see how much time you spend visiting “unproductive sites” that may keep you off track and interfere with your productivity.

Developing self-discipline may be a difficult task, but once you do this, you won’t feel tempted by various distractors and may fulfill your potential. So, try making the first steps by limiting visits to your social media feeds to five minutes after finishing the most demanding tasks. By doing this, you won’t look at distractions as a significant productivity buster, but as a deserved reward for a job well done.

Try to Stay Focused During Meetings

There’s nothing worse than time wasted on lengthy, unproductive meetings. This said numerous meetings have become a significant waste of time because people tend to multitask instead of paying attention to what is said. If you want to make meetings more productive, try to stay focused on topics, contributing to the discussion with valuable insights. Finally, by keeping distractions at the minimum, and focusing on one task at a time, you may achieve remarkable results and become highly productive. Also, make sure to make the most of efficient time and product management tools to keep doing the good work and stay on the right track.