My YOGIST sticky note to combat multitasking at work

For a long time, it was believed that multitasking—doing several things at once—was the secret to efficiency, a quality often attributed to women and one that inspires envy. In reality, it is a myth that many researchers have been debunking in recent years. When you do two things at once, you can be sure you’ll do them half as well and twice as slowly. I’ve had the opportunity to meet a few—rare—people who still take the time to do just one thing at a time, to do it well, while being fully present in what they’re doing.

One of them, who left a lasting impression on me, was a Frenchman in his sixties named Neil, who had been traveling for many months. I met him in the Himalayas, where he had developed a passion for the didgeridoo, that Aboriginal wooden pipe that produces a deep sound reminiscent of the horns in Tibetan monasteries. Every day, at sunrise over the Ganges, we could hear him playing his instrument, never breaking his routine. One morning, as I approached him to say hello and exchange a few words, he set down his didgeridoo to answer me. As I apologized for interrupting him while he was practicing, he replied, with a smile on his lips: “No problem, I’ll stop! If I keep going, I’ll play poorly and won’t fully enjoy our conversation, so I’ll lose out on both counts. I’ll pick up my instrument again once we’ve finished talking.”

During this very enlightening conversation, he showed me how taking one’s time and delving deeply into a practice is essential—in stark contrast to what happens in our fast-paced societies. He helped me understand why replying to an email while half-listening to a meeting is a surefire way to convey the wrong message and risk missing a crucial part of the discussion. He explained to me that multitasking to get things done faster is exhausting, simply because our “thinking brain” can only process one piece of information at a time: once its concentration is disrupted, it takes several minutes to refocus completely, and it tires much more quickly!

Identify the five main sources of distraction that break your concentration: Is it a craving to snack? To chat? To check social media? To text compulsively? Try to pinpoint the impulse behind these urges (such as a sensation in your body) and, instead of giving in to them, focus your attention on your breathing. Take five deep breaths in and out, and return to your task.

Give your brain’s reflective function a break throughout the day by taking regular breaks, stepping away from your screens for a few minutes, taking time to relax both physically and mentally, or removing yourself from noise and commotion. Without these breaks, you risk letting your “reflex brain”—which is responsible for fight-or-flight or aggressive reactions—take over. And no one wants to use that part of their brain at the office!

To avoid multitasking and boost productivity, the Pomodoro Technique has proven to be effective!

At the start of your day, plan your work schedule by making a list of all the tasks you need to complete. You should set aside one (or more) 25-minute blocks of time for each of them.

Let your colleagues or those around you know that you won’t be available for the next twenty-five minutes. Cut yourself off from any sources of distraction.

Set a timer for twenty-five minutes and start working without stopping. When the timer goes off, finally look up and check the task off your list.

Take a five-minute break: do a Yogist routine, grab a coffee, or chat with a coworker. But don’t check your emails right away! You can repeat this routine four times in a row, then take a long thirty-minute break.

THE YOGIST METHOD HELPS YOUR EMPLOYEES PERFORM BETTER AT WORK
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