Monotasking: A New Way to Live

Everywhere you look, there is a new way to ‘do more in less time.’ From adding in exercise while you stand at your desk to checking off to-do lists while you wait for a doctor’s appointment, multitasking has been the buzzword of the past decade. After all, who does not want to accomplish more in less time? Dear reader, I am here to tell you there is a better way.

Not only does multitasking add to the rushed feeling our lives currently hold, it is not in fact a best practice for getting things done. According to this study, “we inflate our perceived ability to multitask: there is little correlation with our actual ability. In fact, multitasking is almost always a misnomer, as the human mind and brain lack the architecture to perform two or more tasks simultaneously.”

In short, multitasking does not actually lend itself to getting more done, and can instead lead to mental roadblocks, frustration, and a less mindful way to live our lives. Instead, I urge you to consider this idea offered by the most recent Mindful.com newsletter: monotasking.

First, I urge you to be fully present where you are. There is so much of life you will miss out on if you are constantly thinking about the next thing, or what else needs to be done. Enjoy, appreciate, and experience the moment you are currently in before trying to move on to the next thing.

Secondly, let go of your lists and simply let yourself live. Yes, we all have things we need to do and accomplish in order to keep our lives and families running. Yet we often forget that we need to attend to our minds and hearts equally as much as our physical lives. Do not forget to live in the midst of all your to-do’s.

Finally, readers, stop rushing through everything you do. We all feel rushed by the pace of life, the person behind us at the grocery store, or the driver who is trying desperately to pass us. Are any of these feelings pleasant or beneficial? Of course not! Let go of the need to speed through life as quickly as possible, and you will live a more present, more relaxed, more mindful life.

As we fill the new year with expectations, goals, and resolutions, let one of them be to simplify your life and live it in the present as much as possible. It is something we all need, all year long.

Mindfully Yours,

Dr. Pamm