Cultivating Mindfulness: One Task at a Time
Goal
The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate the illusion of multi-tasking and offer concrete guidelines to adopt a more mindful approach to life by single-tasking or doing one task at a time.
Step 1: Tasks
In this exercise, we are going to see how good you are at multi-tasking.
Say the alphabet to yourself (in your head) as quickly as you can.
Count from 1 to 26 silently to yourself, as quickly as you can.
Combine these two tasks by saying the letter A and then the number 1, and then B and 2, C - 3, and so on all the way up to number 26. Do this as quickly as you can.
Step 2: Reflection
Consider the following:
What did you notice?
How was it for you to combine the two tasks?
When do you tend to multi-task in your life?
Are there times/situations/people in your life that would benefit from engaging in single-tasking as oppose to multi-tasking?
Step 3: Practical tips for single-tasking
Share some practical tips for increasing single-tasking in daily life:
Only have one browser tab open at once (or set of tabs, if they’re related to one task).
Focus on what you want to get done—if you’re not sure, it’s easier to get distracted.
If you start reading an article, read it to completion or save it for later in an app like Instapaper—don’t leave it open all day in your browser.
Use one app at a time on your phone, rather than switching quickly between several.
When you’re interrupted or you switch tasks, take notice of what you’re doing so you’re aware of your behaviour.
Have more digital-free time. This last rule is an important one. If email, social media, and internal chat are your main distractions, spending more time completely away from your phone or computer can help your brain get used to longer periods of time without those distractions. Finally, single-tasking can be practiced on things like having dinner or spending time with your family just as much as on work tasks. Leaving your computer turned off and your phone in another room can help you enforce single-tasking more easily by making those common distractions unavailable.