multiltasking

•Multitasking can reduce productivity by approximately 40-percent according to some researchers. •Switching from one task to another makes it difficult to tune out distractions and can cause mental blocks that can slow down your progress. Publilius Syrus, slave in the 1st century B.C., who said, "To do two things at once is to do neither." So when you think you are multitasking you are actually switching your goals and turning the respective rules on and off in rapid succession. The switches are fast (tenths of a second) so you may not notSo learning to multitask effectively means developing the wisdom about when to multitask. Here are some tips on how and when to multitask. Combine complex mental tasks with only simple physical tasks. Note the word simple. Driving, for example, is neither a simple nor a purely physical task, so it shouldn't be combined with other complex mental tasks. Examples of the simple-physical/complex-mental-task combo: •Think out a multifaceted problem in the shower or while walking the dog. •Fold laundry and talk on the phone. •Catch up on work-related reading in the doctor's waiting room.