Are you a multitasker?

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Posted by Sarah Hall on June 11, 2010

Over the weekend, The New York Times profiled a family of multitaskers who consume technology in just about every aspect of their lives. In, Your Brain: Hooked on gadgets and paying the mental price, Matt Richtell explores the new reality of multitasking. He takes a closer look at how reliance on technology to enhance our lives, might be having a significant and adverse effect on our brain. Experts suggest that multitaskers have a low ability of being able to focus, and that the use of technology is intensifying this.

“A study at the University of California, Irvine, found that people interrupted by e-mail reported significantly increased stress compared with those left to focus. Stress hormones have been shown to reduce short-term memory, said Gary Small, a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles.”

Working in a client focused business, being a multitasker is part of the job description. While this is a trait that I pride myself on, this article is making me take a step back to evaluate what it really means to multitask. Am I concentrating on the right things, and the right times? Am I always giving my full attention to the task at hand?

While I do still see a lot of value in being able to juggle many things at once, I have to wonder about whether it’s the right strategy all the time. Like most things in life, the key might be moderation. Taking some time each day to shut everything down, and concentrate on that pressing issue, or project that needs to get off the ground, might not only ensure I’m doing my best work – it might also help my brain and my memory. I can’t argue with that!

Click here to test to see if you are a high or low multitasker, and to test your ability to focus.

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