Multitasking may seem like the best way to do things but actually lessens your ability to tap into your intuition to alert us when we are doing things right or wrong. Everything adds up… we work on our computer, listen to cell phone messages, send a text message…and this actually causes our inner knowing to nosedive making us less productive.
Our moods and even energy levels are affected by all this. The solution is simpler then you realize! Here are four steps for avoiding multitasking:
1. Set boundaries. Restrict the volume of incoming information. One of the main side effects of technology is that we are always floating between tasks. The other day I was leaving a restaurant while responding to an email on my Iphone and almost fell down a couple of stairs. Processing all the different ways we receive information takes tremendous energy. Whether you are doing an important task or a minor one consider setting a time-off period in which you turn off technology and focus on only one thing at a time. Clearing your energy field of information overload leaves you free to concentrate on one project at a time.
2. Center yourself. In the book The Inner Quest by Consuella Newton she cites the need for “being present within our presence at all times.” Feeling your life’s rhythm will allow you to fully experience your emotional signals which alerts you to intuitively knowing when you are moving in the right direction. Taking the time to fully inhale and exhale a few times is a great way to get started. The key is being alert and aware to information when it comes in.
3. Lighten your To Do List. Overloading yourself with items that can’t be done in a normal 8-10 hour work day is often why we feel the need to do two, three or even four things at the same time! Filling our day with impossible demands results in our energy being depleted as well as causing a feeling of being out-of-control. We are constantly processing positive and negative energy. It’s easy to max out and end up feeling depleted. Put the items that are time-sensitive first on your to-do list, and once they are completed, you will experience a feeling of success, making you less inclined to hit an energy assault, resulting in you feeling energized and able to accomplish more things.
4. Create public and private deadlines – Once a particular job or or task is identified, determine your own private date for completion. Give yourself benchmarks to insure that you honor your commitment. Trusting that you are always going to get things done early will allow you to listen to your internal signals more effectively. Intuitively pinpoint the source of anything that is blocking your progress. Because you aren’t trying to do multiple tasks you will be more prone to recognize what behaviors need to modified or changed such as limiting everything from long lunch breaks and/or conversations with co-workers.
Eliminating multitasking awakens your intuition – giving you a wide range of solutions when challenges occur. When we focus on expanding our inner listening this helps us fully experience life’s rhythm to making us more alert aware and energized!