What I learned on my multitasking fast day

You have probably read some articles and heard about the dangers of multitasking. What’s the deal? Have we really turned into an attention deficient society? Is it really that bad for us? After all, don’t most of us love to sit on the couch after a long day and watch tv with our laptop on our laps and text on our cell phone? Or don’t we love to check our email at work while glancing at social media or talking on the phone? Or do we try to get more done when driving and text or talk on our cell phones?

So, I decided to take a day and really limit my multitasking. I made up some rules. I only checked my email twice a day. I put my cell phone on silent and only checked it every three hours. Lastly, I made a list of tasks I had to get done.

These are the things I learned from my multitasking fast...

1. I got more done

Now this may sound counter productive, but I followed my list of tasks and loved checking off the tasks as I completed them. Less distractions really helped my productivity.I felt more accomplished.

2. My quality of work was better and I messed up less

When it was time to respond to my emails, I found I was more present to them and my responses were more thorough. I even remembered to send attachments.I really felt I did a better job than when I constantly checked my email and cell phone throughout the day.

3. On my tough challenging tasks, I made great headway

I felt better about myself because I made some significant progress on the challenging tasks that I once dreaded and previously had a hard time tackling. I gave myself a pat on the back for getting them done.

4. I felt less stressed throughout the day

Since my time was more scheduled and had less distractions, I felt a lot less stressed throughout the day. I was more present when doing tasks and responded more appropriately. At the end of day, I had a big smile on my face and felt that it truly was a great day.

5. I was more present

The best thing for me was that I was more engaged with my family and coworkers.I had more eye contact and had more energy to connect with others.I felt more in tune when talking and interacting with them.I really listened and was able to connect more with my own emotions and those of others.

Since my multitasking fast, I have really tried to make a conscious effort to multitask less. I do find that my stress level continues to be less, and I feel more accomplished.