The Perils of Multitasking

Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about multitasking. I first want to share a quote by Publilius Syrus who says, "To do two things at once is to do neither." To do two things at once is to do neither. So let that sink in. I know we can all resonate with that experience of one, having a lot that we're trying to get done, but when we're doing one thing, not actually being there.

We're trying to get so much done in a day or in any given moment that, that well-intentioned effort of trying to cram a lot in actually prevents us from doing anything well. And that's what I love about this quote. To do two things or to try to do two things at once often means to not do either of them. We're, we're not giving our full selves to either. We're not being fully present for either.

We're not giving our best effort, our best focus, our best capacity. And so it really starts to challenge the myth of multitasking. And it is a myth. A lot of the research coming out of Wharton Business School continues to show that the more we try to do in any given moment, not only are we not able to, but we cause ourselves more stress in the process. And so this is something that we might know intuitively, especially as we're getting into our mindfulness practice.

We recognize like, yeah, I know I should be doing one thing at a time, but perhaps still in the background of our mind, it's like, yeah, I can, I can do it. I can beat the system. I can multitask. I can get a lot done. And it's not to say, don't try to get a lot done, but notice how many things you have swimming in your mind when you are doing one thing.

It might not be that you're actually doing two things at once, but while you are doing one thing, your mind is partially thinking about something else. And see if you can make these experiences a meditation practice in themselves. The conversation with a partner or your child, an email that you're writing, a phone call that you're having, see if you can give that task at hand, your full love, devote yourself to it, show up for it fully in the same way you would the breath and a meditation practice or sound as you're listening to the birds and in nature. To do two things at once is to do neither. See if you can make that your mantra today.

See how it helps you on your mindfulness journey. Thank you for your practice. Let's settle in for today's meditation.