Multitasking Tips for the Workplace: Slow Down to Speed Up

In today’s world, employees are under more stress than ever, according to a recent poll carried out by Harris Interactive found that one-third of worked between the ages of 25-39 felt that they were being burnt out by their jobs. Whilst some people are able to juggle tasks more easily than others, it is still possible to improve your multitasking skills.

In the corporate world, the ability to multi-task is a must have skill for any employee, yet a large majority of employees feel like they are being asked to juggle too many tasks. Multi-tasking is a skill that is learnt – by learning how to multi-task efficiently will ultimately result in a dramatic reduction in daily stress and you will see an increase in productivity.

Here are some tips for multitasking effectively:

Being able to multitask in an effective manner will mean that you are able to accomplish more in less time. Below are techniques that can be used that will help you mentally slow down so that you can learn how to multitask and finally master this essential business skill.

1. Task Grouping – it is necessary to group compatible tasks together, by clustering ‘like’ tasks, you will be able to do similar things whilst you are in the right mind-set to complete them. When you focus on several different tasks, you will have to constantly change gears and this will lead to a decline in productivity and ultimately lost time. The most efficient and effective way to do this is by compiling a list of everything that you need to achieve and breaking the items down in to similar things – that way, you are able to multitask both effectively and efficiently.

1. Minimize the impact of interruptions - Employees are interrupted on a daily basis and it is not realistic to think that you won’t have to deal with interruptions throughout your day. Interruptions are a natural occurrence in any job. Pay attention to patterns that occur through the day to ensure maximum efficiency and to minimize the impact of stopping and starting.

1. Allow you mind to reboot – by shifting to single tasks throughout the day will allow you mind to reboot. The brain uses a lot more energy than any other part of the body and for that reason it needs constant replenishment. Rest is essential to increase both energy and productivity. High impact activity will enable you to tackle more tasks in a shorter amount of time.

1. Take a brain break – Ensure that you take breaks through the day, get fresh air and step away from your computer. Regular breaks are essential to function at peak levels consistently.

1. Mix physically and mentally demanding skills – When you try and do several tasks that require mental effort at the same time, you will often see results that you don’t want to. Instead of successfully completing a few tasks, you will be likely to poorly complete several tasks. You will then have to go back to these tasks and complete them properly as you were unable to pay thorough attention to them in the first place.

Mixing physical and mental tasks means that you are then able to pay significant mental attention to those required tasks therefore meaning that multitasking is still achievable.