Last week I read an article about the downside of multi-tasking and it has played on my mind ever since. I would class myself as a professional multi-tasker. I always have my laptop on, my iphone in my pocket, a load of washing on, the radio playing and piles of paperwork that I dip in and out of whilst cooking dinner. The article basically said that multi-tasking leads to dissatisfaction in life and your children feeling ignored and in turn growing up in a world where it is acceptable to hold a conversation with someone whilst checking your emails!
I am very guilty of being on the laptop or texting whilst listening to the children talk about their day. I think multi-tasking in my house has gone mad and since reading about the effects it could have on the children I have felt a bit deflated and unsatisfied. The problem I have is nothing ever gets finished because I have so many things on the go at once. I never stop and I literally job from one task to another without thinking.
Although I have always been proud of my multi-tasking skills I think it is time to take it down a notch and try mono-tasking. My plan is to make a list of things I need to achieve during the week and allocate time to each task and make sure that when doing that task I don’t get distracted by the washing, or the email. Most importantly I am going to dedicate the hours of 3.30 – 8 pm to my children. Give them my full attention and enjoy spending time with them instead of being frustrated at the constant interruption. Sounds easy, but breaking bad habits is always hard!
Mum Juggling Life! 