For the longest time, multi-tasking was considered a productive practice in the corporate world. Often, the person who could seemingly juggle multiple things at the same time was considered a tremendous asset to the team.
While there are benefits to someone being a polymath(able to do multiple things), there is nothing productive about being a multi-tasker.
You could even argue that multi-tasking is an oxymoron, and it is almost impossible to simultaneously engage in two cognitively demanding tasks. So what you do when you say you are multi-tasking is switching between two tasks constantly, which has a cost.
What is context switching?
Context switching can be described as switching between tasks or tools and needing your brain to refocus constantly. Context switching can also be described as the change in our "mental control settings" and the cost we pay when we move to a new task.
Research indicates that context switching can reduce your productivity by 40%. However, similar research put that number conservatively at around 20%.
Irrespective of which of these numbers you choose to go with, it is clear that context switching makes you unproductive.
And in this post, we will look at some ways you can stop context switching and get more productive.
How to stop context switching?
There are many ways to curb or even stop context switching, and it is especially easy for you to implement some of these tips using Routine. Here they are:
Time blocking
The process of time blocking is simple. When you have a task on your plate, you schedule time for it on your calendar where you work only on that task alone. You can do this for an individual task or a group/batch of similar or connected tasks. Time blocking on Routine is as simple as dragging and dropping a task into your calendar.
Themed days
When you decide to work on only one type or individual task on certain days of the week, that can help improve your productivity. This could also be considered the extended version of time blocking, except that you block an entire day in your calendar for a specific type of work.
Single-tasking
This is the practice of working on just one task at a time. While the method is not as sophisticated or structured as time-blocking, adopting a single-tasking approach to your work can help boost a culture of high productivity that is not marred by excessive distractions or the constant need to do more at any given time.
Eating the frog
Pioneered by Brian Tracy based on a Mark Twain quote, the eat the frog method asks you to pick up the most challenging yet important task on your plate and finish it first thing in the morning. Picking a difficult task and working on it to completion will help motivate you to keep the same approach for the rest of your day where you don't get distracted by other tasks while working on the one at hand.
Rituals
One of the best things to do for improved productivity is to have rituals in place that can help avoid constant context switching. For example, if before moving to a new task, you take a quick 5-minute walk, then that will ensure that you don't switch tasks often.
Strategic breaks
As we explored in rituals, taking breaks strategically will help you avoid burnout and/or getting so saturated with your current task that you want to switch to another one. A method like the Pomodoro technique might come in handy when you work on an individual task/batch of similar tasks for a particular time block of 25-minutes that is followed by a 5-minute break.
Pareto Principle
Picking the tasks that will give you the best return on your time and focus will help you clarify what you need to work on and why you shouldn't multi-task while working on those tasks. A few important tasks done well without mistakes are much better than many done in haste, so pick the right tasks and give them your full undivided attention.
Super tools
One of the best ways to tackle context switching arising from the tools you use is to use a super tool. Essentially, a super tool like Routine serves more than a single function, and there are fewer opportunities for you to switch tools in the middle of work because a lot of what you need is readily available in a single app.
Conclusion
While context switching is a real drain on your productivity, with the strategies mentioned above, you can reduce it better. So what are some of the ways you use to reduce or eliminate constant context switching? Let us know on Twitter @RoutineHQ. Thanks for reading.
