Escape the melodrama of multitasking

Focus and finish

• Concentrate on one task at a time and complete it before moving on to the next.
• Try to handle each piece of paper only once, deal with it rather than shuffling it around your desk.
  
  
• If you are in the middle of a conversation, don’t interrupt it by starting another, until you have finished the first.
  
  
• Know your limits and learn to say NO.
  
  
• Concentrate on the present. The ability to stay focused will give you a sense of accomplishment as you see the completed tasks grow. It can also help you enjoy life more, by applying this principle to every activity you do. If you are taking a bath then focus on that moment and don’t waste it by thinking about what you should or could be doing instead. Precious times are lost when we forget to focus on the moment in hand.

Plan and prioritise

• Slow down and take time out. Life’s hectic pace is wearing us out. In a recent survey of 200 GPs, a third of them said that they had seen a 50% rise in the number of worn out young people in the past two years.
  
  
• The experience of low energy can last for weeks, if not months. So, set aside time in your day to plan your activities. Without this time, you will always be responding to the urgent, which is not always the important. Work out what is important to you and make sure that you give enough time to your important tasks.
  
  
• Build into your schedule time for yourself. These are stress-free periods when you can relax and redress the balance of a busy lifestyle.

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