Easy multitasking tips: How to practice effective multitasking?

In the hectic era of 20th century, the greatest problem that we face in our offices, colleges and schools is that we can't finish things in time. Efficient time management skills are considered as an asset whenever we apply to an organisation for a job. At times we wish we had more than two hands and more than 24 hours. Multitasking skills have a great role in time management. If you can do two things at a time, it definitely compensates a few additional hands! To know about tips that make multitasking easier and more effective, read on.

Multitasking: a discovery born of necessity

Multitasking, or in simpler terms, doing more than one task at a time, is not something new. But it is only recently that it evolved into such a valuable concept. The nature of many jobs have changed in such a way that it even a minute increase in what we can do increases the productivity of the job. Multitasking is not confined to office. Practicing multitasking skills is very useful whether you are a student, a homemaker or whomever else. It is considered that the brain can't properly concentrate on more than one thing at a time. It is true to a certain extend. But the fact is that there are many activities in our daily life where we do not need much concentration. Multitasking with such activities can help to save time so that we can give more time to the works that demands concentration.

Multitasking tips: Making multitasking easier and effective

When we try to multitask, generally we face two difficulties: First, it is too difficult to concentrate on many activities at once i.e., multitasking is too difficult for me. Second, multitasking reduces my productivity and my work has low standard i.e., I can't multitask effectively. A solution to this is easier and effective multitasking. For this, some multitasking tips can come in use.

1. Find the tasks which demand less concentration

As said above, it is quite difficult for the brain to concentrate on many things at once. Hence, when we decide to multitask, we need to find the tasks that demand less concentration. Are you planning to multitask with your project completion? Bad idea. If we check our daily routine, there are a large number of activities that demands less concentration. Most of the physical activities do not demand much mental concentration. Brushing, working out, taking the dog for a walk, travelling, waiting for someone, eating – the list continues. When you start with multitasking, the first of the multitasking tips include finding such possible activities.

2. Finding compatible activities

Once you found the activities that demand less concentration, the next step is to pair the compatible tasks. It is generally advised that when you are doing a task using one body part, the multitasking pair activity should use another one. There are certain activities which cannot be paired. You can't take a newspaper to your bathtub. But that does not mean either newspaper reading or bathing is not a suitable task for multitasking. Both are, but only if you pair them with the right pair. You can read newspaper while using treadmill. You can listen to songs while bathing. All you need, is to find the right pair.

3. Making best use of free time

We spend a lot of free time while we are engaged in some activities. In other words, some activities are so that it includes a little bit of free time in between. The best example is travelling. For the namesake, you are engaged. But often, you spend hours of free time travelling. Making use of this free time is very important in multitasking. While travelling, you can finish your reading, listen to songs, watch your pending programmes, make the calls you need to make, check social networking sites and what not! Another example is when you wait. We have to wait for vehicles, for people, for services and so on. This time too can be used effectively. By the time you wait outside a doctor's room for your chance, you can do many things.

4. Listing out and prioritizing activities

If you list out all the important activities that you have to do in order and then prioritize them according to their importance, you can find some tasks suitable for multitasking. Suppose you have to read a book for writing a review. You can do it while doing other unimportant activities. But if you don't list it out, you will forget it until the deadline and then end up consuming two whole days just to read the book.

5. Customising the tasks

You have to bear in mind that some tasks that others can multitask may not be suitable to you for multitasking. Some can copy notes while listening to songs, but for most, it is impossible. But if you have the capability to copy something while listening to songs, of course you can do it. Customising the tasks means that we can find our own special multitasking combinations even though it is not generally practiced. As long as we are satisfied with it, nothing else matters.

Some disadvantages of multitasking

All these discussion does not mean that multitasking is always good. There are some disadvantages of multitasking as well.

It may increase the stress since you are trying to concentrate on more than one thing at a time

It may reduce the quality of a work

Some multitasking such as reading on a moving vehicle can affect the vision

Sometimes, multitasking will tire you out

Multitasking: how to avoid disadvantages?

Here are some tips to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages of multitasking:

Select only unimportant activities for multitasking

Do not select important activities for multitasking

Find some time to rest if you feel that you are doing too much work together

Avoid a multitasking combination if you feel that it will affect your health

Experiment more and more to find the most suitable and effective multitasking methods suitable for you

On a last note..

Multitasking is a tool that can be effective and useful if used in the right manner. Multitasking is just like cycle balance – a bit tough to master, but once mastered, it will help you throughout your life. It is an essential skill in any time management effort. It will make you feel that you have got more than two hands and 24 hours all right! So give it a try!