On October 10, World Mental Health Day was celebrated with the theme: “It’s time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.” This leads me to reflect: What habits affect our minds without us realizing it? One of them, which we have accepted without question, is MULTITASKING.
They have convinced us that doing several things at once is synonymous with productivity, whether in the office, a workshop or in executive roles. We have been burned into the belief that the busier we are, the more worth we have. But are we really being more efficient, or are we depleting our energy and compromising our mental health?
We live so fast that we believe that doing a thousand things at the same time is necessary. However, brain studies show that rapidly switching tasks does not make us more productive; If not, it overloads us mentally, generating stress, anxiety and exhaustion. Multitasking has been normalized in the workplace, but the cost is high. It decreases our ability to make clear decisions, increases errors and, in the long term, can lead to problems such as burnout.
It’s time to question multitasking and become aware of how it affects our health. And, most importantly, it’s time to start making changes!
When I talk to people immersed in multitasking, the reality is that they are not aware of their behavior or its consequences. I tell them that years ago I stopped doing several things at once, and the answers are usually: “I can’t! If I don’t do it all at once, I won’t get there.” These responses are nothing more than limiting beliefs that society has instilled in us. We have been led to believe that the value of our work is measured by the number of things we can do simultaneously. It’s time to dismantle this belief!
Let’s see it with a common example. You’re working on an important report, but your phone won’t stop sending notifications. You decide to answer a couple of messages and, right after, an urgent email arrives. When you finally get back to the report, you realize that 30 minutes have passed with no progress. This constant back and forth between tasks reduces efficiency and leaves us exhausted.
Why do we still believe in multitasking?
Today’s culture has mythologized that productivity is measured by all the things we can do at the same time. We feel GUILT if we only do one thing, FEARING NOT TO BE “PRODUCTIVE ENOUGH.” But the reality is that this habit affects the quality of our work, distracts our mind and compromises our mental health.
The cost of multitasking goes beyond physical fatigue. In the long term, this habit leads to mental health problems such as anxiety and exhaustion. Our mind, being constantly overloaded, has no space to rest or recover its natural balance. We remain in “survival mode”, reacting non-stop to everything that happens around us.
Furthermore, multitasking disconnects us from ourselves and others. By being focused on so many things at once, we do not pay full attention to what we do or how we feel, affecting our relationships and our emotional well-being.
If we want changes in our lives, the key is to become aware of our beliefs, how we are acting, and establish new habits to protect our mental health at work. So that you can start doing it, today I am going to share some exercises so that you can practice on your own, get out of the multitasking cycle and reduce stress. If you don’t know how to do it alone, in coaching sessions I will help you achieve it.
Prioritize tasks: Learn to differentiate what is urgent from what is important. Dedicate blocks of time to specific tasks and avoid jumping between them.
Do one task at a time: Choose a daily activity and commit to doing it without distractions. Silence the phone and dedicate 20 minutes to that task exclusively. You will see how you advance more in less time.
Conscious micro-breaks: Take a few minutes every hour to disconnect. Walk, stretch, breathe or close your eyes. These small breaks are key to staying focused and reducing stress.
Conscious use of technology: Turn off notifications to be more focused. Set times to check emails and messages, instead of doing it continuously.
Practice mindfulness: Be present in every daily activity, in every conversation or task, instead of dispersing yourself with your thoughts or technology, and see how you feel by not dividing your attention.
Gratitude Journal: At the end of the day, write down three things you are grateful for. This will help you close the day positively, reducing anxiety and accumulated stress.
If you are in a leadership role, it is essential that you foster an environment where mental health is a priority, promoting practices that allow employees to better manage their time and avoid task overload.
Prioritizing mental health at work improves both quality of life and productivity and creativity within the organization.
It’s time to break the myth of multitasking and create spaces that allow us to focus, connect and, above all, take care of ourselves!
Regaining control of our lives and breaking the habit of multitasking is an act of awareness and self-love. It allows us to enjoy every moment, connect with what we are really doing and, above all, live a fuller and more authentic life.
Do you dare to try it?
Contact me today at: [email protected] and start taking charge of your emotional well-being.
Your path to a more balanced and conscious life starts here!
Happy Sunday and Hug of the Soul!